TOKYO2025: Mary Moraa, Lilian Odira sail through to 800m semis as Sarah Moraa, Vivian Kiprotich stumble
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 18.09.25. | 15:05
The country's hopes now rest on Moraa and Odira to deliver strong performances in the semifinals
2023 World Champion Mary Moraa and former national champion Lilian Odira kept Kenya's hopes alive in the women’s 800m after storming into the semifinals of the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, 18 September, at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
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Moraa, the reigning world champion, demonstrated grit as she advanced from a highly competitive Heat Two. The 2023 Budapest champion, who has endured a challenging season, is still on course to defend her crown.
She opened strongly, taking an early lead with Ethiopia’s Nigist Getachew and France’s Anaïs Bourgoin close behind.
By the 400m mark, Moraa had slipped to second, trailing Switzerland’s Veronica Vancardo. At 500m, the Kenyan regained control before Bourgoin surged past in the final stretch to claim the win in 1:58.43.
Moraa followed closely in second with 1:58.44, while Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova secured the final qualifying spot in 2:00.44.
In Heat One, Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson (1:59.79) cruised to victory, with Morocco’s Assia Raziki (1:59.82) and France’s Clara Liberman (2:00.17) joining her in the semifinals.
Odira also impressed, showing composure and tactical awareness to book her spot in the next round, marking a solid outing for Team Kenya.
However, it was heartbreak for Sarah Moraa and Vivian Kiprotich, who failed to progress. Sarah, the 2024 African champion, faded after a promising start in Heat Four.
She sat third at 300m but lost pace midway, eventually finishing sixth as Switzerland’s Audrey Werro won in 1:58.43. American Sage Hurta-Klecker and Poland’s Anna Wielgosz clinched the remaining slots.
In the final heat, Vivian Kiprotich ran her season’s best time of 2:00.68, but the effort fell short of securing qualification.
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The country's hopes now rest on Moraa and Odira to deliver strong performances in the semifinals.
