Africa-Press – Kenya. The Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa has announced she will defend her national title in the 400m at the Police Service track and field championship on June 7.
In an interview on Monday, Moraa said she intentionally opted out of the Florence and Paris Diamond League meetings to prepare for the local event.
She, however, said her focus will be on the one-lap race with her eyes firmly trained on shattering her record in the distance.
“I won’t be running the 800m during the Police meeting on Saturday. I intend to defend my national title in the 400m and possibly set a new record,” Moraa said.
Moraa smashed her previous national record by 0.24 seconds after breasting the tape in 50.43 during the Botswana Golden Grand Prix at the National Stadium, Gaborone.
The milestone secured her a direct qualification to the World Athletics Championships whose qualifying standard is 51.0 seconds.
She set a national record for the first time in the distance after finishing in 50.84 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on June 25, last year.
The bubbly athlete went on to better her personal best after clocking 50.67 at the Brussels Diamond League on September 22 last year.
Moraa said she was prevailed upon by her bosses to spice up the Police Service track and field championship in the absence of other decorated colleagues who are flexing muscles in the Diamond League meets.
“There will be several National Police Service officers such as Ferdinand Omanyala missing the event because of their engagement in the Diamond League.
“We agreed with my employers that we should have at least some of the stars in the Police event to give it some colour and so I’m among the participants,” Moraa said.
The 23-year-old track sensation had initially planned to run the 400m in Florence, Italy on June 2 and the 800m in Paris, France on June 6.
Her latest feat was at the IAAF Diamond League meeting at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on May 28, where she stormed the women’s 800m race in 1:58.72.
It came hot on the heels of yet another sublime performance at the Kip Keino Classic tour at Moi Stadium, Kasarani in Nairobi where she breezed to the winner’s podium.
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.
“My next Diamond League race will be in Lausanne Switzerland on June 30. Thereafter, my focus will shift to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where I hope to do well in the 800m,” Moraa said.
Moraa said her dream of shattering the world record in the two-lap race remains alive.
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