Arop crowned men’s short distance champion at Grand Slam Track stop in Philadelphia | CBC Sports.
Edmonton native won signature 800m event Saturday, finishes 4th in 1,500m Sunday
The Canadian Press ·
Canada’s Marco Arop, seen competing in Kingston, Jamaica in April, won the men’s short distance title at Grand Slam Track’s meet in Philadelphia on Sunday. (Ricardo Makyn/AFP via Getty Images)
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Edmonton’s Marco Arop won the short-distance title at a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia after finishing fourth in Sunday’s men’s 1,500-metre race.
Arop finished in a personal-best time of three minutes 35.38 seconds to take five points from the race.
He had 17 points altogether in the short distances after winning Saturday’s 800 metres
That was one point better than Britain’s Josh Kerr, who won the 1,500 in 3:34.44 but was fifth in the 800.
The Canadian claimed $100,000 US in prize money for winning the Slam.
Arop, the Olympic silver medallist at the Paris Games, has won all three 800-metre Grand Slam races so far.
He finished second overall in short distance at the first two stops on the circuit after finishing sixth and seventh in the 1,500.
WATCH | Arop claims men’s short distance Grand Slam Track Philadelphia crown:
Edmonton’s Marco Arop claims Grand Slam Track Philadelphia title with 4th place finish in 1,500m
After winning his signature 800-metre event on Saturday, Canada’s Marco Arop is crowned the men’s short distance Grand Slam Track Philadelphia champion after placing fourth in the 1,500-metre race.
Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., was fifth and Aaron Brown of Toronto was seventh in Sunday’s 100 metres to finish fourth and fifth respectively in the short sprint category. De Grasse won $25,000 while Brown took home $20,000.
American Kenny Bednarek swept the races after winning Saturday’s 200m and claimed the $100,000 top prize.
WATCH | Bednarek wins 200m; Canada’s De Grasse, Brown miss podium:
American Bednarek wins 100m, Canada’s De Grasse 5th and Brown 7th at Grand Slam Track Philadelphia
Kenny Bednarek of the United States claims the men’s short sprints title at the Grand Slam Track stop in Philadelphia, Pa. Andre De Grasse finishes fourth in the standings while fellow Canadian Aaron Brown places fifth.
Grand Slam Track was started by American track and field legend Michael Johnson, and is in its inaugural season.
The first event was in Kingston, Jamaica, the second in Miami, and the fourth and last one will be in Los Angeles June 27-29.
All competitors have to compete in two events and are split into categories — short sprints (100, 200), long sprints (200, 400), short hurdles (100 hurdles for women, 110 hurdles for men, 100 for both), long hurdles (400 hurdles, 400), short distance (800, 1,500), long distance (3,000, 5,000) — with a points system in place.
Winners get 12 points, second place gets eight points, third gets six points, fourth gets five points, fifth gets four points, sixth gets three points, seventh gets two points and eighth gets one point.
The athlete with the most points after competing in both races from each category is named the “Slam Champion” for their race group. The overall season leader in points for each race group will be recognized as “Racer of the Year.”
WATCH | American Jefferson-Wooden wins women’s short sprints:
American Jefferson-Wooden captures Grand Slam Track Philadelphia women’s short sprints title
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States finishes first in the women’s 100-metre short sprints race at the Grand Slam Track stop in Philadelphia, Pa., with a time of 10.73.
WATCH | DR’s Paulino wins overall women’s long sprints:
Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino crowned Grand Slam Track Philadelphia long sprints champion
Canada’s Marco Arop, seen competing in Kingston, Jamaica in April, won the men’s short distance title at Grand Slam Track’s meet in Philadelphia on Sunday. (Ricardo Makyn/AFP via Getty Images)
