Ramot Jimoh misses chance to qualify for SEC 800m final by the narrowest of margins

Ramot Abike Jimoh was impressive early Saturday morning (Nigeria) in the 800m event at the 2025 Southeastern Conference, SEC, indoor event at the Bryan-College Station in Texas but missed the chance to punch her ticket to Saturday’s final.

The 21 year old ran 2:05.76, her second fastest time ever over the distance to finish ninth and missed the two non-automatic slots for the final.

She finished third in the first heat while the duo of Jenna SCHWINGHAMER (2:05.54) and Ka’Myya Haywood (2:04.90) also finished third in heat two and three respectively.

The Nigerian would however be proud of her progression this indoor season.

In January, she cut over four seconds off the 2:08.48 personal she ran in 2022 to set a new 2:04.97 lifetime best.

The time moved her to number two in the Nigerian all-time list behind Abike Egbeniyi who ran the 2:03.65 Nigerian indoor record in Boston in 2019.

Jimoh, who has set four lifetime best this year including the 4:49.49 Nigerian record in the mile indoors, will be keen to move closer to becoming the first Nigerian woman to break the two minutes barrier in the event, indoors and out.

She also set a personal best in the 1000m (2:49.22) and the Mile (4:46.40).

Jimoh will now be looking to attack the Nigerian 800m outdoor record of 2:02.04 set in 2003 by Grace Ebor.