By Gary Kingston
Jamaican sprinters, led by the likes of Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey, have left an indelible mark on the world of track and field, but Jamaica’s first Olympic medal of any kind came in the 800 metres, a silver by Arthur Wint in 1948.
Middle-distance running has been mostly barren ground for the sprint-crazed Caribbean nation since – no Olympic finalist in the 800 since 1964 – but 25-year-old Navasky Anderson is hoping to make his mark at a race distance often considered track’s most taxing. The need to sprint at nearly maximal speed while simultaneously conserving energy.
Anderson, who broke his own 800-metre national record on June 8 by running one minute, 44.61 seconds at a meet in Newark, N.J., headlines a strong international field set to contest the two-lap race at the Jerome Classic at Swangard Stadium on July 15. He’ll be joined by Alex Amankwa of Ghana, Handal Roban of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Edose Ibadin of Nigeria and Canadians Matti Erickson, a University of Oregon product and the current NCAA indoor champion and outdoor silver medalist, and Abdullaii Hassan. Erickson, a 22-year-old from Nelson, B.C., won last year’s Jerome in 1:46.63, with Roban third, Amankwa fourth and Hassan seventh.
Anderson first broke the Jamaican record in 2022, bettering a mark that had stood for 45 years.
His latest national record is just shy of the 1:44.50 automatic qualifying standard for the 2025 outdoor world championships in Tokyo in September, where the field is capped at 56. Thirty-eight athletes have met the standard, while Amankwa (45th), Anderson (52nd) and Hassan (53rd) are currently in, based on the world rankings quota system. The quota qualifying closes Aug. 27.
“The season is long, so there’s no rush,” Anderson, a Mississippi State grad who now trains in Baltimore, told the Jamaica Observer a month ago. “I’m staying patient and humble, trusting that with faith and consistency, everything will fall into place. So far, preparation is right on track and, most importantly, I’m enjoying the process.”
In Newark, a patient Anderson ran a very tactical race, sitting sixth after one lap. He caught Moroccan Moad Shafi with a strong finishing kick. Amankwa was third in 1:45.50, and Ibadin fourth in 1:46.00
Anderson’s success has spurred a wave of young 800-metre runners from Jamaica, with U.S. collegians Rivaldo Marshall, Tyrice Taylor, who beat Anderson at the recent Jamaican championships, and Kinar Farquharson all running sub-1:46.00 times this year.
“It shows Jamaica has the talent and potential beyond the traditional sprint events,” says the six-foot-four Anderson. “My hope is to continue that momentum by not just qualifying (for worlds), but competing for a medal.
“I haven’t reached my ceiling, and I feel a sense of responsibility to push the limits, not just for myself, but for the next generation of Jamaican athletes.”
The 800 metres world record is 1:40.91, set back in 2012 by Kenyan David Rushida. 2024 Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi has the fastest time in the world this year at 1:41.95
Canadian Marco Arop is the reigning world champion and a silver medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Sudan-born Edmontonian’s spot in Tokyo in September is assured, while Hassan, a Scarborough, Ont., native, will be hoping a strong showing at the Jerome can keep him in a qualifying spot. Erickson, who has a season best of 1:45.89, is just nine ranking points back of the 56th quota qualifier.
With a solid pacer and Anderson, Amankwa, Ibadin, Roban and the Canadians all in top form, it should make for an entertaining 800-metre race on the track at Swangard. The meet record is 1:43.70 set by American Johnny Gray back in 1988.
