Sum, Jepkosgei inspire Moraa ahead of 800m final
Kenya's Mary Moraa reacts after crossing the finish line to come in first in a heat of the women's 800m semi-final during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 22, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Nakaayi’s title defence is over but Kenya’s Mary Moraa will be in the final at the Oregon World Championships in the early hours of Monday.
Eugene, Oregon
The women’s 800m field went wide open with the departures of three-time world champion South African Caster Semenya, Kenyan Margaret Wambui, Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba and Uganda’s Dorcus Ajok among others due to the testosterone rule by World Athletics.
Little wonder Ugandan Halimah Nakaayi burst to the gold medal over the two-lap final at the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships in Qatar.
Three years later, the women’s two-lap race is now considered one of the most competitive track events.
Nakaayi’s title defence is over but Kenya’s Mary Moraa will be in the final at the Oregon World Championships in the early hours of Monday.
Kenya's Mary Moraa reacts after crossing the finish line to come in first in a heat of the women's 800m semi-final during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 22, 2022.
After winning the semi-final Heat 2 in one minute and 59.65 seconds on Friday, the 22-year-old will be the last Kenyan in action at the Hayward Field and she is keen to finish on a high.
“I’ve controlled my body well. So I am in the final and I am hoping for the best,” said Moraa. “Everybody has trained so bring on the final, it’s going to be tough.”
It’s been a spell of patience and hard work for Moraa ever since she won the 400m silver during the defunct World U18 Championships held in Nairobi five years ago.
She added the 400m Africa U20 title in Ivory Coast in 2019 and in the same year, she competed at the Doha Worlds as a member of the 4x400m mixed relay.
Despite missing the 800m final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan last August, Moraa arrived in Eugene as one of the few to watch.
Kenya's Mary Moraa reacts after crossing the finish line to come in first in a heat of the women's 800m semi-final during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 22, 2022.
She is currently the third fastest woman in the world this year after winning the Kenya Trials in 1:57.45 at Kasarani Stadium on June 24.
She has hopes for a medal. “I will be grateful if I get any medal, as long as I listen to the coach’s advice, I will be good,” Moraa stated.
Kenya has not had a medal in the event since 2013 champion Eunice Sum scooped a bronze at the 2015 Beijing Worlds in China.
Prior, Janeth Jepkosgei had won gold at Osaka 2007 in Japan and then silver medals at the Berlin 2009 and Daegu 2011 editions in Germany and South Korea respectively. Moraa has this history at the back of her mind.
“In the era of Janeth and Sum, team work was good. Now it’s only me in the final, so I can’t say I will be there on the podium but I will do my best.”
She is lined-up in a final that has three Americans; Olympic champion Athing Mu, world indoor champion Ajee Wilson as well as Eugene’s own Raevyn Rogers, a silver medallist in Doha.
The hosts USA are bidding to do another 1-2-3 like in the men’s 100m, 200m and shot put finals.
There’s Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson from Great Britain, Jamaican Natoya Goule and Ethiopian Diribe Welteji as well to watch.
Day 10 - Kenyan in action on Monday morning
4:05am: Nicholas Kipkorir, Jacob Krop, Daniel Ebenyo (Men’s 5000m Final)
4:35am: Mary Moraa (Women’s 800m Final)
Day Eight Results
Women's 800m Semi-final Heat 1
Mary Moraa (KEN) 1:59.65
Ajee Wilson (USA) 1:59.97
Adelle Tracey (JAM) 2:00.21
Past of women 800m World Champions
2007 Osaka: Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN)
2009 Berlin: Caster Semenya (RSA)
2011 Daegu: Caster Semenya (RSA)
2013 Moscow: Eunice Sum (KEN)
2015 Beijing: Maryna Arzamasava (BLR)
2017 London: Caster Semenya (RSA)
2019 Doha: Halimah Nakaayi (UGA)
Past Kenya performances
2019 Doha: Eunice Sum (5th, 1:59.71)
2017 London: Margaret Wambui (4th, 1:57.54)
2015 Beijing: Eunice Sum (3rd, 1:58.18)
2013 Moscow: Eunice Sum (1st, 1:57.38)
2011 Daegu: Janeth Jepkosgei (2nd, 1:57.42)
2009 Berlin: Janeth Jepkosgei (2nd, 1:57.90)
2007 Osaka: Janeth Jepkosgei (1st, 1:56.04)
