Mary Moraa Stuns Athing Mu, Keely Hodgkinson to Win Gold for Kenya in Women’s 800m

• Mary Moraa became the 800m women's world champion after a scintillating race on Sunday evening
• Moraa floored the pre-race favourites, Athing Mu and Keely Hodgkinson
• Her win takes Kenya's gold medal tally to three after Faith Kipyegon's double

It had been dubbed as the final of the day. A race that couldn't disappoint. The race of the event even. Such was the magnanimity that had been given to the 800m women's final.

World Athletics had taken to its official social media channels on Sunday morning for their pre-race hype, captioning the video 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown.'

Prior to the 19th edition of the World Athletics Championships, there was uncertainty over Athing Mu's participation. But she did appear and despite a scare in the semi-final, she made it through.

On another corner was the woman who had finished second to her on two occasions, Keely Hodgkinson.

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And on the other hand, starting in lane 7, was Mary Moraa. Moraa, who is known for her rather unorthodox running style, finished third behind the aforementioned two women in Oregon. She then headed to Birmingham and beat Hodgkinson on her home turf to win the Commonwealth Games.

These three, coupled with other surprise packages like 2019 champion Halima Nakaayi, were set to bring the roof down at the National Athletics Centre in the Hungarian capital. And they did not disappoint.

Mary Moraa wins

Moraa won the race, leaving Mu and Hodgkinson in her wake to become the third Kenyan to win a gold medal in the event after Janeth Jepkosgei (2007) and Eunice Sum (2013).

Mu led for the better part of the race, only for Moraa to overtake her on the final stretch and upgrade her bronze medal to gold by clocking a new personal best of 1:56:03.

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Hodgkinson overtook Mu to settle for yet another silver in a major championship, with the American closing the podium places. Hodgkinson posted 1:56.34, while Mu posted 1:56.61.

After her bronze in Oregon and gold in Birmingham, Moraa can't send out a bigger statement than her win in Budapest. She has arrived. And at only 23 years of age, with Mu and Hodgkinson at 21 years, we are in for a rivalry that could last up to a decade!

Inside Moraa's tragic childhood

However, before all the stardom and the fanfare, Moraa was just another typical Kenyan struggling to make ends meet.

Sports Brief reported that the deaths of her parents when she was just two years old did not make the situation any better, but armed with a resolve to succeed and a little bit of fate, she made it to high school.

She was sponsored through her high school education at Mogonga Mixed Secondary School by the principal and the school's administration.