Marshall sets new national 800m indoor record

ARKANSAS, United States (CMC):

Rivaldo Marshall ran a blistering pace on his way to establishing a new national indoor record in the men’s 800 metres at the Arkansas Qualifier at the Randal Tyson Track Centre on Friday.

Marshall, a University of Arkansas senior, clocked 1:45.62 seconds to cop gold in the event and become the third Jamaican to set a new record in the race in the space of a week.

His teammate Tyrice Taylor ran 1:46.11 seconds at the same venue last Saturday, only to see World Athletics Championships and outdoor record holder Navasky Anderson run 1:46.10 seconds at a meeting in France on Thursday.

Marshall lowered his previous personal best of 1:46.30 seconds that he set last weekend and also broke a 25-year-old Arkansas record of 1:45.95 seconds set by Dirk Heinze in 2001, the same year Marshall was born.

Fellow Jamaican Machaeda Linton of Texas A&M University won the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.51 metres and was also second in the triple jump with an effort measured at 12.89 metres.