Paris Olympics: Early warning shots from Moraa as Odira runs PB

In a race she led for the better part, reigning World champion Mary Moraa has thrown down the gauntlet with the fastest qualifying heat in six heats as women's 800m action got underway in Paris. 

Considered one of the favourites for gold, despite making her debut at the Games, Moraa, whose running style has, on numerous times, been questioned, led her heat to the fastest qualifying time, despite placing second. 

Paris Olympics: Kenyan trio closer to reclaiming 5000m title

World Indoor champion Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia won Moraa's heat with a head dive on the line to clock 1:57.90, tye fastest time in a race heats that had 15 women dip under two minutes. 

Running in heat 5, Moraa took the bell in 56.5 seconds, leading the pack alongside Shafiqua Maloney with Ethiopia's Dugumaa stride behind. 

The Commonwealth Games champion was in cruise control all along despite the quick race, easing near the line, giving the Ethiopian the opportunity to go top. 

Moraa will be joined by another Kenyan debutant, 800m national champion and African silver medalist Lilian Odira who unleashed a lethal finishing kick in the last heat to also go through to the semis. 

Vivian Chebet, the third Team Kenya runner finished outside automatic qualifying places, finishing fifth in 1:59.90 and will have another opportunity to advance when she competes in the repechage (competitors who lost in the opening rounds have a chance to re-enter their events through repechage rounds.)

Odira, racing in the last heat of the preliminaries, ran a personal best time of 1:58.83, her second career sub-2 to grab the third automatic slot to the semis. 

The 25-year-old Prisons Kenya athlete went through the opening lap in 58 seconds, in fifth place, holding her place until the homestretch where she time her kick perfectly to assure herself a place in the next round.