Dancing Moraa ready to dazzle foes in 800m final
Kenya's Mary Moraa celebrates after crossing the finish line during the women's 800m semi-final during the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on August 25, 2023.
What you need to know:
- At the same time, Moraa has spoken of the tense moments in the race that led to South African runner Prudence Sekgodiso being elbowed out of the competition, the 21-year-old falling down to eventually finish last in the third semi-final heat on Friday.
- Moraa, who won the third semi-final heat on Friday with the fastest time here of one minute, 58.48 seconds, finishing ahead of reigning world champion Athing Mu of USA (1:58.78), said the second half of her semi-final race proved a tricky affair.
In Budapest
Commonwealth Games 800 metres champion Mary Moraa is banking on searing pace to burn the opposition in the final of the two-lap race that will be held Sunday night from 9.45pm at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
At the same time, Moraa has spoken of the tense moments in the race that led to South African runner Prudence Sekgodiso being elbowed out of the competition, the 21-year-old falling down to eventually finish last in the third semi-final heat on Friday.
Moraa, who won the third semi-final heat on Friday with the fastest time here of one minute, 58.48 seconds, finishing ahead of reigning world champion Athing Mu of USA (1:58.78), said the second half of her semi-final race proved a tricky affair.
“There was a lot of tension among the runners. It was like the final itself. I thought the competitors would employ a cautious approach but then Mu just sprinted to the front, and maintained a steady pace throughout, forcing me to react. Luckily, my body responded well, and I won the semi-final heat in very good time,” the 23-year-old said of the race.
So quick was Moraa’s semi-final heat that it yielded four finalists – Moraa herself, Mu, 2019 world champion Halimah Naakayi of Uganda, and Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey. The last two qualified for the final as the fastest third-placed finishers.
She says today’s race promises to be unpredictable, what with the strong field featuring Mu and her compatriots Nia Akins and Raevin Rogers, Great Britain duo of Olympic and world 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson and Jema Reekie, Naakayi, and Tracey.
“All the top runners made the final. Our races have been very competitive, starting with the heats, semis and now the finals. I think the final will be very unpredictable. We will take everything one step at a time,” Moraa, who finished fourth at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon, told Nation Sport in Budapest.
Moraa is the only Kenyan athlete in the final of the two-lap race after her compatriots, Naomi Korir and Vivian Chebet, failed to qualify for the semi-finals. The fourth Kenyan in the race, Peninah Mutisya, failed to start on a technicality.
Team Kenya Programme
Sunday:
Men’s marathon:
7am: Titus Kipruto, Timothy Kiplagat, Joshua Belet
Men’s 5,000m final:
9.10pm Jacob Krop, Ishamel Rokitto Kipkurui
Women’s 800m final:
9.45pm Mary Moraa
Women’s 3,000m steeplechase final:
10.10pm Beatrice Chepkoech, Jackline Chepkoech, Faith Cherotich
