National 800m record holder expects ‘greatness’ in 2023
Published:Monday | February 20, 2023 | 1:09 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
National men’s 800 metres champion Navasky Anderson has revealed, following his record-breaking indoor performance last week at the Music City Challenge meet at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, that the plan heading into that race was to test his level of preparedness at that point in the season. Anderson, who stormed to a time of one minute 46:58 seconds, erased his previous mark of 1:49:99, which he set back in 2021.
“Going into the race, the plan was to see where we were at at this point in the season. I knew, going into the race, I was in great shape, so now I’m just trying to stay healthy and fit. It’s just for me to mimic quality race patterns and stay comfortable, and I’m happy that I had run a good race because that was the intention. I knew what the national record was, so I just woke up and decided that I’m going to take a shot at it,” he said.
The national record holder in the outdoor 800m at 1:45:02, which was set in placing second at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, believes this season could be one for the ages. The 23-year-old is basking in the glory of being an inspiration to younger athletes while hoping that with his continuous solid performances, his name will continue to be mentioned.
“This season will be a season for greatness, just staying strong-minded and confident. There is a lot out there to be accomplished, and there’s a lot more out there for Navasky. It’s about staying in the spotlight and encouraging younger individuals who have been reaching out to me. I just want to continue to inspire them and do what I’ve been doing,” Anderson said.
The former St Jago High School standout, who has received criticism about his racing style, also agreed that, that area has been identified and will be corrected.
“I’ve been working towards different aspects and techniques on how I can improve my race, and speed is definitely in the picture,” he remarked.
Also on the agenda for the 2023 season is the Diamond League circuit which he anticipates will further lift his stocks and have the top 800m athletes take note that he is serious about this season.
“That’s the utmost goal. The aim really of entering the Diamond League circuit is, basically, to put my name out there. My name is already out there. It’s just to put it there on a more serious level and say, ‘Navasky is here and he’s here to win’. Not just to make finals, not just here to run, so that’s what I’m also working towards,” Anderson said.