L. MathekaOREGON22: Moraa through to women's 800m final
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 23.07.22. | 05:33
The final race is set for the last day of action on Monday 4.35 AM EAT.
Former world Under-18 400m silver medalist Mary Moraa will fight to add another world championship medal when she lines up for the women's 800m final at the ongoing World Athletics Championships.
The national 400m record holder lined up in heat one of the semi finals held early Saturday 23 July morning, bagging an automatic qualification position as she won the heat.
Women's 800m finalists
— Making of Champions (@MakingOfChamps) July 23, 2022
▪️ Mary Moraa 🇰🇪 1:59.65
▪️ Ajee Wilson🇺🇸 1:59.97
▪️ Keely Hodgkinson🇬🇧 1:58.51
▪️ Natoya Goule🇯🇲 1:58.73
▪️ Raevyn Rogers🇺🇸1:58.77
▪️ Athing Mu🇺🇸 - 1:58.12
▪️ HDiribe Welteji🇪🇹- 1:58.16 (PB)
▪️ Anita Horvart🇸🇮 -1:59.60 #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/qtzkLsLaF1
Moraa sprinted to the finish to win in 1:59.65 ahead of home runner Ajee Wilson who grabbed the second spot in 1:59.97. Adelle Tracey of Jamaica was 3rd in 2:00.21.
Unlike in her preliminary heat where she went out quick off the blocks and had a gap ahead of the rest of the field before slowing down in the second lap, Moraa eased into the lead at 200m and started controlling the heat.
She took the bell in 59 seconds ahead of Renelle Lamote with Wilson in fourth place. The latter moved to second place with about 200m to go but the Kenyan maintained her place for the victory.
As anticipated, Mary Moraa takes the field round at a reasonably fast pace and through 400m in 59.00 before @AjeeW moves nicely up on her shoulder at 600m and again at 700m to rather comfortably secure second behind the Kenyan in 1:59.97 to 1:59.65 in the first semi over 800m pic.twitter.com/k5Juq4TbMX
— Costas Goulas (@LsabreAvenger) July 23, 2022
In heat three, the other Kenyan representative in the semis Naomi Korir came home last in 2:03.08 in the heat won by Olympic champion Athing Mu in 1:58.12.
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji was second in a personal best time of 1:58.16. Anita Horvat finished third in 1:59.60 to grab one of the two non-automatic qualification slots.
Keely Hodgkinson and Natoya Goule won the automatic slots in heat two with third-placed Raevyn Rodgers getting the other non-automatic slot.
Defending champion Halima Nakaayi and Kip Keino Classic winner South African Prudence Sekgodiso miss out on the final after finishing eighth and fifth respectively in heat three.
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