Mary Moraa ended Kenya’s 10-year wait for a World Championship gold medal in 800m when she ran a tactical race to floor defending the United States champion Athing Mu in Sunday’s final in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday Moraa’s victory ended Kenya’s decade-long wait for the title that Eunice Sum won for the country last in 2023 Moscow.
Moraa, who had won bronze last year in Oregon, USA, relegated Hodgkinson, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist, to silver medal once again in 1:56.34 as Mu settled clocked 1:56.61 for bronze. Having secured the world bronze medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon and claimed gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the world title was one of the big medals missing from her collection but she has now delivered it.
The absence of her compatriots Vivian Kiprotich and Naomi Korir, who fell off in the heats, did not affect her as she remained with the leading pack before sprinting off on the home straight. As the Kenyan record holder for the 400m and the reigning 2022 Diamond League 800m champion, Moraa was poised to pursue the ultimate prize – the gold medal and delivered in style.
Now with a World Championship gold under her belt, the 2024 Olympics should be next for Moraa who has announced her rival to the global stage in style.
