World U20 Championships: Mary Moraa’s cousin the only Kenyan representative in 800m semis

IMAGE/Screegrab.

World U20 Championships: Mary Moraa’s cousin the only Kenyan representative in 800m semis

Festus Chuma 21:37 - 27.08.2024

Sarah Moraa advances to the 800m semis, but teammate Janet Jepkemoi exits after finishing last in her heat.

Mary Moraa’s cousin, Sarah Moraa, will be a lone ranger in the semi-finals of the women's 800m after her teammate Janet Jepkemoi exited at the preliminary stage of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

To reach the semis, Sarah Moraa delivered an impressive performance, winning her Heat Three in a time of 2:05.11.

The semifinal qualification rules stated that the first four finishers of each heat, along with the four fastest times, would progress to the semifinals.

Despite the stiff competition, Moraa emerged victorious in her heat, demonstrating her readiness to compete at the highest level.

However, it was a different story for her teammate, Janet Jepkemoi, who faced a tough challenge in Heat One of the women's 800m event.

Jepkemoi struggled to keep pace with the leading runners, finishing in a disappointing last place with a time of 2:15.94.

At the front of the pack in Heat One, Rin Kubo from Japan dominated, taking first place with a time of 2:04.53 and securing her spot in the semifinals.

Kubo's performance was closely followed by Aster Areri from Ethiopia, who clocked in at 2:04.76, setting a personal best in the process.

Germany's Marie Celie Warneke also achieved a personal best, finishing third with a time of 2:04.80.

Carise Van Rooyen from South Africa rounded out the top four, crossing the line in 2:07.51, thus ensuring her qualification for the next round.

The competition in Heat One was fierce, with Luise Rosa Braga from Brazil finishing fifth in 2:07.77, just missing out on the semifinal spot.

Maria Miguel Avelino from Portugal completed the race in 2:09.43, while India's Laxita Vinod Sandilea came in seventh with a time of 2:11.96, narrowly ahead of Jepkemoi, who unfortunately found herself at the back of the field.

Despite her best efforts, Jepkemoi will need to reflect on this performance and use the experience as motivation for future races.

The disappointment of not advancing will likely fuel her determination to improve and come back stronger in the next opportunity.

In Heat Two, USA's Sophia Gorriaran led the field with a winning time of 2:07.43, securing her spot in the next round.

The race was closely contested, with Nesrine Abed from Algeria finishing just behind her in second place with a time of 2:07.46. Both athletes showed strong form, comfortably qualifying for the semifinals.

Adéla Holubová from the Czech Republic also put on a solid performance, taking third place with a time of 2:07.78, while Tara Vučković from Serbia rounded out the top four, finishing in 2:07.93.