Brett Halter Head Coach / Javelin | Curators of the University of Missouri
Brett Halter Head Coach / Javelin | Curators of the University of Missouri
Valentina Barrios of the Missouri Tigers track and field team has qualified for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where she will represent both her university and Colombia. The announcement was made on August 27.
The World Athletics Championships is a major event in track and field, held every two years. The 2025 competition will take place from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, with the next edition scheduled for Beijing in 2027.
Barrios will compete in the women's javelin qualification round on Friday, September 19, with the final set for Saturday, September 20. She joins former Missouri athlete Gabi Jacobs at the championships. Jacobs graduated in 2019 and recently secured third place in women's discus at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championship on August 1 with a throw of 63.33 meters (207-9), earning her a spot on Team USA for Tokyo.
Barrios earned her qualification by winning first place in women's javelin at the U23 Pan American Games on August 20 with a throw of 60.16 meters (197-4) at Estadio de Atletismo. This mark was her second-best career performance and placed her ahead of Georgia's Manuela Rotundo, who had previously won the Southeastern Conference Championship in javelin.
Barrios is also noted as the NCAA Champion in women's javelin for 2025.
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