The 2024 Under Armour Track and Field Nationals, hosted at Florida’s IMG Academy in Bradenton, delivered a historic breakout performance on its second competition day Saturday, as Jamaican middle-distance runner Kelly Ann Beckford delivered a massive personal best to claim gold in the women’s professional 800m. Beckford crossed the finish line in 1 minute 58.66 seconds, slashing more than 1.5 seconds off her previous top mark of 2:00.17. That prior personal best came just last August, when she claimed a bronze medal at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Championships held in The Bahamas.
Already a qualified competitor for the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Beckford’s new time marks a major milestone for Jamaican women’s middle-distance running: she is only the fourth female Jamaican 800m runner ever to break the elusive two-minute barrier in the event. The result also jumps her from 10th all-time among Jamaican women in the discipline into that exclusive historic top four, and her 2024 season time now ranks among the top 10 fastest 800m performances globally this year.
In the corresponding men’s professional 800m race, it was a training partner showdown at the front of the pack. Wes Ferguson, who trains alongside Navasky Anderson at Under Armour Baltimore, edged out Anderson to take the top spot on the podium with a winning time of 1:44.41. Anderson, Jamaica’s own national record holder and a 2023 World Athletics Championships finalist, finished just 0.15 seconds behind Ferguson to claim second place in 1:44.56. Rounding out the top three was Handal Roban of St Vincent and the Grenadines, who posted a time of 1:45.08 to secure the bronze medal.