Photo by: World Athletics, Social
Arop, Peters Place Second At World Ultimate Championships
September 13, 2026 | Track & Field
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Mississippi State saw four Bulldogs advance to the finals at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, with Anderson Peters and Marco Arop each earning runner-up finishes.
Peters finished second in the men's javelin final Sunday with a throw of 86.18m. Peters took the lead in the second round, but he was surpassed in the third after the field was trimmed to six athletes by Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, who threw 87.11m then 91.09m as the only thrower to clear 90m on Sunday.
Arop also claimed a runner-up finish Sunday in the men's 800m, crossing the line in 1:42.20. The Canadian led from the first 100m up until the final 20m, when Algeria's Djamel Sedjati surged off the final turn and passed both Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyoni of Keny and Arop on the home stretch.
"It was an incredible race and I wanted to give my all from the start to finish," Arop said. "It was a real honor to race against these athletes. Now, I will focus on rest and recovery. I want to come back stronger next year."
Arop advanced to the final after finishing sixth in the first round Saturday with a time of 1:44.21. Navasky Anderson also qualified for the Ultimate Championships, but the Jamaican finished 12th overall and did not reach the final after clocking 1:44.83 in Saturday's semifinal.
Lee Eppie also advanced to the men's 400m final, finishing seventh overall with a time of 44.66. Eppie clocked 44.85 in the semifinals Friday to secure his spot in the final.
Curtis Anderson rounded out Mississippi State's representation in the men's javelin, finishing eighth with a throw of 75.80m.
For more information on the Bulldog track and field program, follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateTF."
Peters finished second in the men's javelin final Sunday with a throw of 86.18m. Peters took the lead in the second round, but he was surpassed in the third after the field was trimmed to six athletes by Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, who threw 87.11m then 91.09m as the only thrower to clear 90m on Sunday.
Arop also claimed a runner-up finish Sunday in the men's 800m, crossing the line in 1:42.20. The Canadian led from the first 100m up until the final 20m, when Algeria's Djamel Sedjati surged off the final turn and passed both Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyoni of Keny and Arop on the home stretch.
"It was an incredible race and I wanted to give my all from the start to finish," Arop said. "It was a real honor to race against these athletes. Now, I will focus on rest and recovery. I want to come back stronger next year."
Arop advanced to the final after finishing sixth in the first round Saturday with a time of 1:44.21. Navasky Anderson also qualified for the Ultimate Championships, but the Jamaican finished 12th overall and did not reach the final after clocking 1:44.83 in Saturday's semifinal.
Lee Eppie also advanced to the men's 400m final, finishing seventh overall with a time of 44.66. Eppie clocked 44.85 in the semifinals Friday to secure his spot in the final.
Curtis Anderson rounded out Mississippi State's representation in the men's javelin, finishing eighth with a throw of 75.80m.
For more information on the Bulldog track and field program, follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateTF."
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