Photo by: World Athletics, Social
Anderson Breaks Jamaican National Record In Semifinals
September 18, 2025 | Track & Field
TOKYO, Japan – Navasky Anderson and Marco Arop, former Mississippi State All-Americans, punched their ticket to the 800m final and Lee Eppie finished eighth in the 400m final at the World Championships.
Anderson had the fastest non-automatic qualifying spot through the semifinals, crossing the line in 1:43.72. His time is the new Jamaican 800m national record, surpassing the time run by his countryman Tyrice Taylor (JAM) at the NACAC Championships earlier this summer.
Anderson will be the first man to represent Jamaica in an 800m final in the history of the championships.
"The race went exactly as I thought," said Arop. "I wanted to control it, to be in a good position and be prepared for any moves, and it worked. This is an exciting team to be part of, an exciting time for track and field in Canada. I have been here so many times, I know what to expect and I can manage my emotions. I can do what I need to do to be where I need to be. If I keep doing that, I will have a very successful week here."
Arop secured his automatic qualifying spot in 1:45.09 to win the first section of the 800m semifinals. He was followed closely by Djamel Sedjati (ALG), who trailed him in the Paris 2024 Olympic final.
The 800m final will be held on September 20 at 8:22 a.m. CT. The race will see the rematch of last year's Olympic final, where Arop will race against both Sedjati (ALG) and Emmanual Wanyonyi (Ken), the reigning Olympic champion and world leader. Â
Eppie crossed the line in 44.77 to finish eighth in his first World Championships final. Eppie was one of three athletes competing for Botswana in the race, contributing to their emerging presence in the running events. His countryman, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi (BOT), took the title with a world-leading 43.53 over 400m.
For more information on the Mississippi State track and field program, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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Anderson had the fastest non-automatic qualifying spot through the semifinals, crossing the line in 1:43.72. His time is the new Jamaican 800m national record, surpassing the time run by his countryman Tyrice Taylor (JAM) at the NACAC Championships earlier this summer.
Anderson will be the first man to represent Jamaica in an 800m final in the history of the championships.
"The race went exactly as I thought," said Arop. "I wanted to control it, to be in a good position and be prepared for any moves, and it worked. This is an exciting team to be part of, an exciting time for track and field in Canada. I have been here so many times, I know what to expect and I can manage my emotions. I can do what I need to do to be where I need to be. If I keep doing that, I will have a very successful week here."
Arop secured his automatic qualifying spot in 1:45.09 to win the first section of the 800m semifinals. He was followed closely by Djamel Sedjati (ALG), who trailed him in the Paris 2024 Olympic final.
The 800m final will be held on September 20 at 8:22 a.m. CT. The race will see the rematch of last year's Olympic final, where Arop will race against both Sedjati (ALG) and Emmanual Wanyonyi (Ken), the reigning Olympic champion and world leader. Â
Eppie crossed the line in 44.77 to finish eighth in his first World Championships final. Eppie was one of three athletes competing for Botswana in the race, contributing to their emerging presence in the running events. His countryman, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi (BOT), took the title with a world-leading 43.53 over 400m.
For more information on the Mississippi State track and field program, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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