Mary Moraa
Moraa at the 2021 Memorial Van Damme in Brussels
Personal information
NationalityKenyan
Born (2000-06-15) 15 June 2000 (age 23)
Sport
CountryKenya
SportAthletics
Event(s)400 metres, 800 metres
Coached byAlex Sang
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1st (800 m, 2023)[1]
Personal bests
  • 800 m: 1:56.03 (2023)
  • 400 m: 50.38 NR (2023)
  • Indoors
  • 800 m: 2:00.61i (2023)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Kenya
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Budapest 800 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Eugene 800 m
Diamond League
First place 2022 800 m
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham 800 m
African Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Accra 400 m
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Accra Mixed 4x400 m relay
African U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Abidjan 400 m
World Youth Championships
Silver medal – second place 2017 Nairobi 400 m

Mary Moraa (born 15 June 2000)[2] is a Kenyan athlete who specialises in the 800 metres. She won the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, a bronze medal in the event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and a gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Moraa is the Kenyan record holder for the 400 metres. She was the 2022 Diamond League 800 m champion.

Background

Moraa was orphaned at age 2 after the death of her father and then her mother. She grew up with her grandparents, in Kisii in western Kenya. She won an education bursary through running.[3]

Career

Mary Moraa specialized in the 400 metres distance until 2021. She made her international debut at the World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi and won the silver medal in the event with a personal best time of 53.31 seconds.[2] The following year, the 18-year-old placed fifth over the same distance at the World U20 Championships held in Tampere, Finland, clocking new best of 52.85 s in the heats.[2]

In 2019, she won in the 400 m the African U20 title, Kenyan senior title, and placed fourth at the African Games held in Rabat, Morocco.[2] She reached the semi-finals in her individual event at the Doha World Championships.[2] Her season's best was 51.75 s.[2] She made her debut in the 800 metres that year.[4]

Moraa transitioned to the 800 metres in 2020, and represented Kenya at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021 competing in the event, where she was eliminated in the semi-finals with a time of 2:00.47.[2][5]

In July 2022, Moraa won the bronze medal in the 800 m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, clocking a personal best of 1:56.71 behind Athing Mu (1:56.30) and Keely Hodgkinson (1:56.38).[6] The following month, she won a gold in the event at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games after storming through to beat Hodgkinson in the final.[7] She went from first to last and back to first in that race.[8] In September, Moraa became the Diamond League 800 m champion after she won final in Zürich.

Achievements

Personal bests

International competitions

Representing  Kenya
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2017 World U18 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 22nd (h) 200 m 25.48
2nd 400 m 53.31 PB
4th 4 × 400 m mixed 3:24.92
2018 World U20 Championships Tampere, Finland 5th 400 m 52.94
2019 African U20 Championships Abidjan, Ivory Coast 1st 400 m 53.57
African Games Abidjan, Ivory Coast 4th 400 m 51.97
4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:32.93
World Championships Doha, Qatar 18th (sf) 400 m 52.11
11th (h) 4 × 400 m mixed 3:17.09
2021 World Relays Chorzów, Poland 13th (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:39.34 SB
– 4 × 400 m mixed DQ
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 15th (sf) 800 m 2:00.47
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 3rd 800 m 1:56.71

PB

Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 29th (h) 400 m 59.51
1st 800 m 1:57.07
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:32.28
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 800 m 1:56.03 PB
2024 African Games Accra, Ghana 1st 400 m 50.57

Circuit wins and titles, National titles

800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses

References

  1. ^ https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/800m/women?regionType=world&page=1&rankDate=2023-12-26
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Mary MORAA – Athlete profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. ^ https://olympics.com/en/news/orphaned-as-a-toddler-mary-moraa-on-how-hardships-inspire-greatness
  4. ^ Mballa, Tony (5 May 2023). "Moraa promises more surprises this year as track season gets underway". The Star. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. ^ Olobulu, Timothy (19 June 2021). "Conseslus, Timothy Cheruiyot out as Kenya names team for Tokyo Olympics". Capital Sports. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  6. ^ Azzi, Alex (24 July 2022). "Athing Mu becomes first American woman to win 800m, keeps win streak alive". NBC Sports. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Hodgkinson heartbreak as Moraa beats her to Commonwealth Games gold". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  8. ^ Gault, Jonathan (30 December 2022). "How Did THAT Happen? Remembering the Strangest Moments in Running in 2022". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  9. ^ "World Leaders by Ingebrigtsen & Korir Highlight 2022 Diamond League Final". LetsRun.com. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mary Moraa.
World champions in women's 800 metres
Commonwealth Games champions in women's 800 metres
African Games champions in women's 400 metres
Diamond League champions in women's 800 metres
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