Pen Freitas Begins Third Career World Championships Saturday

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Marta Pen Freitas will return to the global stage over the weekend at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The top-ranked Portuguese 1500m runner is making her third career world championships appearance.

Last year, she missed qualifying for the semifinals by 0.15 seconds, but at the Tokyo Olympic Games she did reach the second round of the competition. Pen Freitas will be the first of five former Bulldogs in competition in Budapest. The women's 1500m qualifying heats are set to begin at 6:15 a.m. CT on Saturday, August 19, with the semifinals the following day at 12:05 p.m.

This year the 1500m will not include time qualifiers. Only the top six athletes in each will qualify for the semifinals regardless of finishing times. Pen Freitas will run in the final heat of the morning. She brings in the 10th-fastest season best in her heat, and the ninth-quickest personal-best.

Only one Portuguese woman has ever medaled in the 1500m on the world championships stage. Carla Sacramento won gold in 1997 after taking home the bronze in 1995. Sacramento was also the last Portuguese athlete to advance past the opening round, qualifying on time in 2003.

Athlete Profile

Marta Pen Freitas (Portugal)

Personal Best: 4:03.79 (2022) | Season Best: 4:06.05 (June 18)
World Rankings: No. 55 World | No. 1 Portugal

The two-time Olympian (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020) is a 10-time Portugese National Champion with seven 1500m titles, a pair of 800m crowns and an indoor 3000m title ... career-best world ranking in the 1500m was No. 12 for four weeks ... 2015 NCAA Champion in the 1500m ... won SEC titles in the 1500 and mile in 2016 and the 2017 distance medley relay ... one of three cross country All-Americans in school history ... holds top-five times in school history in the 1500m and the 800m outdoors and the mile and 3000m indoors.

World Championships Women's 1500m Schedule (all times CT)

Saturday, August 19
6:15 a.m. | Qualifying Heats | Watch on CNBC

Sunday, August 20
12:05 p.m. | Semifinals | Watch on NBC

Tuesday, August 22
2:30 p.m. | Final | Watch on USA Network

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

Mississippi State University Athletics

Pen Freitas Begins Third Career World Championships Saturday

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