Moraa and Co cross fingers as Team Kenya mixed relay team await life changing moment

Moraa and Co cross fingers as Team Kenya mixed relay team await life changing moment

Abigael Wafula 20:00 - 30.07.2023

The team also comprises Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal, Naomi Korir, and Boniface Mweresa.

Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa remains hopeful that by midnight, the Team Kenya mixed relay team will still be among the top 16 teams in order to qualify for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The qualification period will close on Monday, July 31 and Moraa believes they still have a chance of making it to the global show.

The team, which also comprises Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal, Naomi Korir, and Boniface Mweresa, had traveled to Germany for the True Athletes Classics Meeting in a quest to improve their time.

Unfortunately, they were disqualified after violating a World Athletics Technical Rule 24.19 which states that for all takeovers, athletes are not permitted to begin running outside their takeover zones, and shall start within the zone. If an athlete does not follow this Rule, their team shall be disqualified.

In a post on her Facebook page, Moraa said: “This is the best team in 4x400m mixed relay one could have assembled. It didn't go the way we expected after we got disqualified for violating TR 24.19. We all learn from mistakes.

We have our fingers crossed until midnight to see if we shall qualify for the Budapest World Athletics Championships through the world ranking. We are currently 16th, the last cut-off in qualification. God is good.

As per World Athletics, the top eight teams at the 2022 World Championships automatically qualified. They include the Dominican Republic, Netherlands, USA, Poland, Jamaica, Nigeria, Italy, and Ireland.

For the other teams to qualify, they have to be among one of the top 16 teams at the end of the qualification period, July 31.