Mary Moraa

Last updated

Mary Moraa
Mary Moraa at 2021 Memorial Van Damme.jpg
Moraa at the 2021 Memorial Van Damme in Brussels
Personal information
NationalityKenyan
Born (2000-06-15) 15 June 2000 (age 24)
Obwari, Nyanza Province, Kenya (now Kisii County, Kenya)
Sport
Country Kenya
Sport Athletics
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 Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Paris 800 m
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Budapest 800 m
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Eugene 800 m
Diamond League
Gold medal icon.svg 2022 800 m
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Birmingham 800 m
African Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Accra 400 m
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2023 Accra Mixed 4x400 m relay
African U20 Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 Abidjan 400 m
World Youth Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 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.

Contents

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.

Personal life

She is the cousin of Kenyan runner Sarah Moraa. [9] [10] Mary Moraa has described her as her "kid sister" on social media. [11]

Achievements

Personal bests

International competitions

Representing Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
2017 World U18 Championships Nairobi, Kenya22nd (h) 200 m 25.48
2nd 400 m 53.31 PB
4th 4 × 400 m mixed 3:24.92
2018 World U20 Championships Tampere, Finland5th 400 m 52.94
2019 African U20 Championships Abidjan, Ivory Coast1st 400 m 53.57
African Games Abidjan, Ivory Coast4th 400 m 51.97
4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:32.93
World Championships Doha, Qatar18th (sf) 400 m 52.11
11th (h) 4 × 400 m mixed 3:17.09
2021 World Relays Chorzów, Poland13th (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:39.34 SB
4 × 400 m mixed DQ
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan15th (sf) 800 m 2:00.47
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States3rd 800 m 1:56.71

PB

Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom29th (h) 400 m 59.51
1st 800 m 1:57.07
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:32.28
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary1st 800 m 1:56.03 PB
2024 African Games Accra, Ghana 1st 400 m 50.57
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France3rd800 m 1:57.42

Circuit wins and titles, National titles

800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses

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References

  1. "World Rankings | Women's 800m (600m-1000m)".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "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. Ingle, Sean (6 August 2022). "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. "Sarah Moraa Wins Gold but Falls Short of Olympic Qualifying Time". Runnerstribe. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  10. Wafula, Abigael (24 June 2024). "Sarah Moraa wins gold at African Championships but narrowly misses Olympic qualification". PulseSports. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  11. Wafula, Abigael (8 January 2024). "Mary Moraa proud of younger sister making waves on the track". PulseSports. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  12. "World Leaders by Ingebrigtsen & Korir Highlight 2022 Diamond League Final". LetsRun.com . 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.