Nipate
Forum => Kenya Discussion => Topic started by: gout on August 07, 2022, 11:39:59 AM
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Always giving way around the last corner then going hard (even struggling) in the 50 metres..
Watched her since Kasarani 2017 mixed rally.
Great transition from 400 to 800 metres.
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800m is very technical....will take time to master the timming and the pacing.
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Racists at Guardian are likening Moraa to a devil
Poor Keely Hodgkinson. Again. And the brilliant 20-year-old from Wigan must be wondering just how she can turn her outstanding talent into a major outdoor title after becoming the victim of a plot twist worthy of Agatha Christie at her most devilish.
At last year’s Tokyo Olympics, as well as the recent world championships in Eugene, Hodgkinson went toe-to-toe with the extraordinary American Athing Mu over 800m, only to leave clasping silver. And here at the Commonwealth Games there was more heartbreak as she fell victim to one of the most bizarre ever victory performances at a major championships.
It came from the Kenyan Mary Moraa, who strung out a high-quality 800m field for the first 350m before suddenly dropping back to last. It meant that with 250m remaining Hodgkinson was surging towards gold and Moraa was at least 10 metres back, her race seemingly spent.
But then, staggeringly, Moraa began to get a second wind and to pick off the rest of the field. The Kenyan was still in fourth coming into the home straight but somehow she found another burst of energy and adrenaline to power home in a rattling fast 1min 57.07sec to pip Hodgkinson at the death.
No wonder Hodgkinson, who had to settle for silver in 1:57.40, was gutted. “I haven’t ever seen that before,” she admitted. “People run the race differently. I hoped I would be ahead at 200m to go, that is how I beat her last time. But running is full of surprises.”
The stats showed that Moraa had the fastest first 200m (25.9) and fastest final 200m (29.3) splits of the entire 800m field. But in between she also had the slowest middle 400m of 61.9. As the Kenyan explained afterwards, her unusual tactics had not been planned. “My plan was to go through in 57 or 58 secs, but after 300m I realised I was going too fast,” she said.
“I lost hope because everyone went past me. I was last. But when I got to 200m I started to close the gap. And with 120m to go I was counting 1-2-3-4 and I started to think I could win a medal. So I kept pushing.”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/aug/06/hodgkinson-heartbreak-as-she-has-to-settle-for-commonwealth-silver