NAIROBI, Kenya, July 16 – Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa was a little bit disappointed at missing out on a personal best despite winning the women’s 800m at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland on Sunday.
Moraa clocked a season’s best and meet record of 1:56.85 to cross the finish line first ahead of Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi who timed a personal best and national record of 1:57.78 as Jamaican Natoya Goule-Toppin came third in 1:57.90.
“I am so satisfied with the race and the win. I controlled the race from the front. It is a good habit of mine. My aim was to in front from the starting point and it worked. I really wanted a PB (personal best) which did not work, but it was still a good improvement. I thank God for everything,” the world 800m bronze medalist said.
Moraa has been on a sizzling run thus far in 2023, winning all her outdoor races.
Her last win before Silesia was at the Lausanne Diamond League on June 30 where she clocked 1:57.43.
She said her eyes remain focused on next month’s World Championships in Budapest even as she plans one final race at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday.
“At the World Championships, I want to finish on the podium. I will run the 400m in Monaco and then go home to Kenya to train,” Moraa explained.
In other races of the afternoon, national 5000m champion Lilian Kasait clocked 8:27.80 to finish second in the women’s 3000m, behind winner Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia who stopped the timer at 8:26.61.
Another Ethiopian, Hailu Lemlem finished third in 8:29.43.
In the men’s 3000m steeplechase, Commonwealth Games champion Abraham Kibiwot clocked 8:08.03 to finish second behind Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco who timed 8:03.16.
Another Kenyan, Leonard Bett, came third in 8:09.45.
World Indoor 1500m bronze medalist Abel Kipsang timed a personal best of 3:29.11 to finish second in the men’s 1500m as Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigsten cut the tape at 3:27.14.
World Under 20 1500m champion Reynold Cheruiyot was third in a personal best of 3:30.30.
