Commonwealth 800m champion Mary Moraa has described her semi-final as a ‘final before the final’ as the World Athletics Championships enter the penultimate stage today at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
Moraa said her semi-final heat had the 'who is who' in the 800m arena and only a few names were missing. “We were only missing Keely Hodgkinson, Mia Akins of the United States, and Jamaica's Natoya Goule-Toppin in our semis to make it a full-fledged final; otherwise the heat was very tough."
Moraa clocked 1:58.48 to win her heat ahead of United States' Athing MU, who posted 1:58.78, and Uganda's Halimah Nakaayi (1:58.89). Moraa said the fact that a few Africans had qualified for the final was a huge morale booster. “ Three in the final is a good thing and I am happy we will give each other morale,” she noted.
She predicted a tough final but exuded confidence that she would prevail. The second heat was won by Hodgkinson in 1:58.48 with United States' Akins (1:58.61) and Noélie Yarigo (1:59.43) second and third respectively.
Great Britain's Jemma Reekie (2:00.28) won the other heat of the day ahead of the United States' Raevyn Rogers (2:00.47) and Jamaica's Natoya Goule-Toppin (2:00.78). The women's 800m final is scheduled for Sunday (20:45)
