State Sends Five To 2023 World Athletics Championships In Budapest

STARKVILLE – Five former Bulldogs will return to the global stage at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, later this week.

Mississippi State will be represented by Marco Arop (CAN) and Navasky Anderson (JAM) in the 800m, Anderson Peters (GRN) and Curtis Thompson (USA) in the javelin and Marta Pen Freitas (POR) in the 1500m. Competition begins on Friday, August 19 when Pen Freitas begins the opening round of the women's 1500m, and runs for the next nine days.

State alumni claimed two medals at last year's championships in Eugene, Oregon, which were delayed by a year to accommodate the delay of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Following this year's championships, the event will return to its biannual calendar, with the next meeting set for 2025 in Tokyo.

"It goes without saying that we're all extremely proud, not just myself but the entire track and field program, the entire community of Starkville, the individual coaches that those student-athletes worked with," head coach Chris Woods said. "We wish them nothing but the best. We are proving right now, and historically, that we do have one of the better track and field programs in the country. We produce some of the best athletes in the world out of this little small-town program. I think it goes to show this is a wonderful environment that someone can come in and excel in. I think it also says that we have some tremendous coaches that understand what it takes to develop somebody to reach the next level."

Peters is the headlining name among State's contingent. The reigning world champion became the second man ever to win back-to-back world titles in the javelin, joining world record-holder Jan Zelezny (CZE, 1993, 1995). Should he defend his crown once more, he'd become the first ever to win three consecutive titles in the event and join Zelezny as the only three-time javelin champion in world history.

Meanwhile, Arop returns to his third career World Championships after winning his first medal last year. He became just the second Canadian man to win a medal in the 800m, taking home bronze. Arop enters the competition with a world No. 1 ranking and could become Canada's first 800m gold medalist. The Canadian national record is also in his sights as his personal best sits just six hundredths of a second off the mark set by fellow former Bulldog Brandon McBride.

Arop is joined in the 800m by Anderson, the most-recent State athlete in the fold. The Jamaican made his worlds debut last year after winning the SEC Outdoor Championship and finishing as the NCAA runner-up. If he were to advance to the 800m final, he'd be the first in his nation's history to do so.

Thompson has quietly put together one of the best years of his career, and will challenge Peters in the javelin. Thompson climbed as high as No. 4 in the world javelin rankings this season, the highest mark of his career, while also winning his third career U.S. Championship.

Pen Freitas is a 10-time Portuguese national champion in multiple events, including seven titles in the 1500m. She was also the 2015 NCAA champion in that event. She reached the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympic Games and narrowly missed advancing at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon. Pen Freitas was just 0.15 seconds shy of an automatic qualifying position in the first round and did not advance on time.

For more information on the Bulldog track and field program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateTF."

Mississippi State University Athletics

State Sends Five To 2023 World Athletics Championships In Budapest

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