After 10 years, the 800 min title is back to Kenyan thanks to Mary Moraa.
Moraa who is the World and Commonwealth champion has described the 800m final race at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, as the hardest she has ever tackled in her athletics career.
Moraa said she had to run with her head and a lot of calculation went into the race.
“This race had the ‘who is who’ in the two-lap event and I must admit I was not even sure of the crown. I was sure of winning a medal but I must admit gold came as a major surprise,” she revealed.
Moraa handed Kenya the final gold medal of the championships in the women’s 800m to make it three after Faith Kipyegon had won two in the 1500m and 5000m.
This put Kenya's medal tally to 10, three gold, three silver and four bronze to finish fifth on the log.
Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain took the silver medal with Athing Mu of the United States settling for the bronze.
Moraa ran a personal best of 1:56.03, Hodgkinson returned home in 1:56.34 while Mu clocked a season best time of 1:56.61.
Moraa said a lot of things were going through her head in the final since at least four of her competitors had what it takes to win.
“I didn’t know whether Hodgkinson would carry the day or whether Mu would pull a surprise. I was on the lookout and ran a very calculated race,” she noted.
She wanted to do the first lap in 57 seconds and was happy to have run her personal best in the final.
Moraa was not sure whether Mu wanted the race fast or slow but she was ready for anything. "I had to be very cautious and reserve energy for the final kick."
The gold was the biggest achievement in her career, she said, and dedicated it to her coach and her boyfriend.
She hopes her victory will inspire fellow 800m runners considering the last time Kenya had won the title was in 2013, through Eunice Sum.
"We must do something at the Olympic Games in Paris if not sweep the board," she noted.
Moraa is targeting the final Diamond League meeting in Eugene before taking a break.
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