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Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa has pledged to pull off a masterclass act at the Monaco Diamond League on July 21.
Moraa, 23, said she plans to test her pace and finishing skills at the Stade Louis 2 Stadium track ahead of next month’s Budapest 2023 World Championships in Hungary.
“I intend to run the 400m race in Monaco because this will give me a perfect chance to test my finishing power and pace in the final lap of the 800m race,” Moraa said.
Monaco will mark her third Diamond League appearance following amazing performances at the Rabat and Lausanne legs earlier in the year.
Moraa obliterated a rich field at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on May 28 to clinch the IAAF Diamond League meeting in 1:58.72.
She produced another tactical brilliance in Laussane on May 30 to beat world silver medalist Keely Hodkinson of Britain after clocking a season-best of 1:53.47.
“I had planned to run in as many Diamond League races as possible but I intentionally opted out of the Florence and Paris Diamond League meetings to defend my national title in the 400m at the Police Service track and field championship held in June,” she remarked.
Earlier on May 13, she flashed another masterpiece at the Kip Keino Classic at Moi Stadium, Kasarani track in Nairobi, winning the race in an impressive 1:58.83.
Moraa has been on a demolition spree since April this year when she smashed her way to victory after setting a new PB of 50.44 to storm the 400m title at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix where she obliterated a stellar field that boasted Jamaican Candice McLeod and Ametican Kyra Jefferson.
The sublime performance she pulled off in the blistering contest saw her smash her previous national record of 50.84 which she set at the national trials for the World Championships and Commonwealth Games on June 25, last year at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
Moraa subsequently attained the World Athletics Championships qualifying standard of 51.0 seconds.
She hopes to replicate her vintage form in the previous year when she stormed the Diamond League trophy and bagged bronze at the Oregon 22 championships in the 800m race.
Moraa said her dream of shattering the world record in the two-lap race remains alive. She has now pledged to assert authority at August’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she will be training her sights on a podium finish.
“My objective at the Budapest World Championships is to win a medal, nothing else. From my performances this far, I believe I can pull off something great for the country in Budapest,” she remarked.
Moraa is looking forward to a grueling race against obstinate competitors and has vowed to exert enormous energy and pound her legs hard on the track to overcome the abrasive challenge that lies in wait. BY THE STAR