MORAA WARY OF BURN OUT

Can cautious Moraa finally clinch world title?

Moraa said she is keen to improve on her bronze medal from last year’s World Championships in Oregon, USA.

In Summary

• “You know, anything can happen. Let us go through the heats first before focusing on the medal,” she noted.

• Meanwhile, the women’s 5000m heats earlier scheduled for this morning at 11 am (Wednesday) have been pushed to 7 pm due to extreme weather conditions in Budapest

Mary Moraa dancing after winning the 800m title in a past race
Mary Moraa dancing after winning the 800m title in a past race
Image: /FILE

Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa said she will exercise caution as she starts her world title campaign on Wednesday.

Moraa said she is keen to improve on her bronze medal from last year’s World Championships in Oregon, USA.

She said considering the nature of 800m and the many stages involved before the final, one can easily burn out.

She is aware that she will be up against a strong field and has promised to be calculative.

“You know, anything can happen. Let us go through the heats first before focusing on the medal,” she noted.

Meanwhile, the women’s 5000m heats earlier scheduled for this morning at 11 am (Wednesday) have been pushed to 7 pm due to extreme weather conditions in Budapest

“Our own recording system shows some very high Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) values, which increases the risk of Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS). Current predications are that the 5000m (W) heats on Wednesday 23 August morning at 11am will be under Black Flag Code,” said the event hosts.

Kenya will be represented in the 5,000m by Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet and Margaret Chelimo.

“This is not an acceptable level for our athletes so we will be moving the heats to 7 pm on Wednesday evening. As a consequence of this decision, the 200m (W) heats will now start earlier at 11:20 am and the 200m (M) heats at 12:15 pm.

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is the recognised international standard for measuring heat, humidity and thermal stress conditions. WBGT Black flag level is the highest level where the WBGT is greater than 86°F (30°C) in World Athletics’ rules and regulations.