 Moraa at the 2021 Memorial Van Damme in Brussels | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| 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 by | Alex Sang |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Highest world ranking | 1st (800 m, 2023) |
| Personal bests | |
| Medal record | |
Mary Moraa (born 15 June 2000) 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. She also holds the world best in the 600 metres.
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.
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. 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.
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. She reached the semi-finals in her individual event at the Doha World Championships. Her season's best was 51.75 s. She made her debut in the 800 metres that year.
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.
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). The following month, she won a gold in the event at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games after storming through to beat Hodgkinson in the final. She went from first to last and back to first in that race. 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. Mary Moraa has described her as her "kid sister" on social media.
Achievements
Personal bests
- 400 metres – 50.38 (Nairobi 2023) NR
- 800 metres – 1:56.03 (Budapest 2023)
- 800 metres indoor – 2:00.61 (Liévin 2023)
International competitions
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Olympic Games | Paris, France | 3rd | 800 m | 1:57.42 |
Circuit wins and titles, National titles
- Diamond League 800 metres champion:
2022
- 800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses
References
- "World Rankings | Women's 800m (600m-1000m)".
- ^ "Mary MORAA – Athlete profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- https://olympics.com/en/news/orphaned-as-a-toddler-mary-moraa-on-how-hardships-inspire-greatness
- Mballa, Tony (5 May 2023). "Moraa promises more surprises this year as track season gets underway". The Star. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- Olobulu, Timothy (19 June 2021). "Conseslus, Timothy Cheruiyot out as Kenya names team for Tokyo Olympics". Capital Sports. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- Azzi, Alex (24 July 2022). "Athing Mu becomes first American woman to win 800m, keeps win streak alive". NBC Sports. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- Ingle, Sean (6 August 2022). "Hodgkinson heartbreak as Moraa beats her to Commonwealth Games gold". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- Gault, Jonathan (30 December 2022). "How Did THAT Happen? Remembering the Strangest Moments in Running in 2022". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- "Sarah Moraa Wins Gold but Falls Short of Olympic Qualifying Time". Runnerstribe. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- Wafula, Abigael (24 June 2024). "Sarah Moraa wins gold at African Championships but narrowly misses Olympic qualification". PulseSports. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- Wafula, Abigael (8 January 2024). "Mary Moraa proud of younger sister making waves on the track". PulseSports. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- "World Leaders by Ingebrigtsen & Korir Highlight 2022 Diamond League Final". LetsRun.com. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
External links
| World champions in women's 800 metres | |
|---|---|
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| Commonwealth Games champions in women's 800 metres | |
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| 880 yards (1934, 1962–1966) |
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| 800 metres (1970–present) |
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| African Games champions in women's 400 metres | |
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 Diamond League champions in women's 800 metres | |
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- 2000 births
- Living people
- Kenyan female sprinters
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2019 African Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2023 African Games
- African Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
- African Games gold medalists for Kenya
- African Games bronze medalists for Kenya
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for Kenya
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Kenya
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Diamond League winners
- World Athletics Championships winners
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Olympic bronze medalists for Kenya
- 21st-century Kenyan sportswomen