Paris Olympics: World Champ Moraa Promising Gold And A New Dance Style To Boot
World 800m women’s champion Mary Moraa rehearsing her new dance style at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics. PHOTO/ PETER WA KABAKURI
PARIS, France- World champion Mary Moraa has promised her fans a new epic dance at the Paris Olympics that kicks off later this month.
She is out to spice up the new dance style with a grand podium finish which is her target in the women’s 800m at the Games.
“The dance is on the way, you will see it, just hope that I reach my intended destination,” the African 400m champion said at her training base at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Vivian Chebet, Mary Moraa, Sarah Moraa and Lilian Odira trains at Nyayo Stadium ahead of Paris Olympics,. PHOTO/ OCHIENG OYUGI
“Please pray for me, I badly need this medal (Olympic gold) in my cabinet and I’m promising the fans a better version of me in Paris, I’ll give my best, we will do wonders there,” she informed her fans.
After reaching the semifinals in her Olympics debut in Tokyo, Japan in 2021, Moraa reiterates that she is all out to bring the women’s 800m gold home, and this is evident in her rigorous training tactics at Nyayo ahead of Paris.
The Commonwealth Games champion is flanked in the early morning trainings by Africa silver medalist Lilian Odira and African Games bronze winner Vivian Chebet who will also hunt for medals in France in the same category. The three musketeers say their common goal is to bring the glory back home.
From Left: The trio line up of Lilian Atieno Odira, Vivian Chebet and Mary Moraa who will ply trade for the country in the women’s 800m at the Paris 2024 Olympics. PHOTO/ MARY MORAA
“None of us has ever made it to the final at the Olympics, so we are all targeting the podium and what we have done so far should take us there,” Moraa told sportsdesk.co.ke.
” After my ‘flop’ in Tokyo, I have been preparing for this Olympics (Paris) for the last three years. Every race I have run, I have competed with the Olympics in mind,” she explained.
The 2022 Diamond League winner feels her body is now in great shape to conquer the France showdown after her elaborate trainings that have left her body as fit as a fiddle.
“Should we reach the podium, we will start to hunt the medals from there. Right now, the plan is for all of us to make it to the finals, then we will sit down and do our plot for the medals,” Moraa hinted about their game plan.
Moraa is happy that the women’s 800m category is attracting fresh talents locally like Odira who won the national trials for Paris and Moraa’s cousin Sarah who triumphs at the recently held Africa championship in Douala, Cameroon. The duo is already causing ripples within the athletics fraternity.
Mary Moraa in a past championship. PHOTO/ MARY MORAA
“For a long time, it’s my name that has always been synonymous with local races, but now I’m happy to hear the likes of Odira being hailed by announcers in local meets. It shows the game is growing and attracting better talents every day,” Moraa said.
Just like the way she was mentored ahead of Tokyo Olympics by former world champion Eunice Sum and Emily Cherotich, Moraa has opted to guide both Odira and Chebet who will be making their Olympics debut in Paris.
“We are all sisters, so we have to encourage, support and inspire and motivate each other. We need love to conquer Paris,” she highlighted.
Moraa feels the absence of Olympics women’s 800m defending champion Athing Mu of USA in Paris will give Kenya a slight edge in the race but at the same time she is quite disappointed that the thrill for the showpiece will not reach its apex.
Mary Moraa during the unveiling of the Team Kenya ceremonial kit for the Paris 2024 Olympics. PHOTO/ MARY MORAA
” Mu’s presence was going to spice up the race. It was going to toughen the contest; it was going to make all contestants not to sleep on their laurels. We were all going to be so alert. But all is not lost for her as we can still meet in other platforms like the Diamond League in the course of the year,” Moraa stated.
Despite the absence of Mu, Moraa says the Kenyan squad is not downgrading anybody in the category.
“In a competition anything can happen, so we are not taking any chances, we are treating other contestants with the seriousness they deserve, we are ready for anything in Paris,” she stated.
Mary Moraa Selected Achievements
2019: Africa U-20 400m gold
2021: Tokyo Olympics semis
2022: Diamond League winner
2022: Commonwealth Games gold
2023: World Championship gold
2024: African Games 400m gold
