Mary Moraa wins 800m world title in Budapest

Kenyan Mary Moraa won the 800m at the world track and field championships, snapping bronze medalist Athing Mu’s three-year undefeated streak in the event.

Moraa, last year’s bronze medalist, surged past Mu, who paced the race, in the final straightaway and crossed in a personal best 1 minute, 56.03 seconds.

Brit Keely Hodgkinson also passed Mu to earn silver for a third consecutive year when including the Tokyo Olympics. Mu held on for bronze to add to her golds from Tokyo and last year’s worlds in Eugene.

Mu, 21, had won the 800m at nine consecutive outdoor meets dating to her last defeat in September 2019. Moraa also finished ahead of her in Friday’s semifinals.

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The U.S. still finished with the most gold medals (11 with a few events left) and total medals (28 so far) at a fourth consecutive worlds.

Also Sunday, Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen repeated as 5000m champion. Two years in a row, Ingebrigtsen took 1500m silver behind an Edinburgh Athletics Club member (Jake Wightman, Josh Kerr), then won the 5000m.

Next year, Ingebrigtsen could bid to become the third man to win the 1500m and 5000m at one Olympics after Finland’s Paavo Nurmi in 1924 and Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj in 2004.

The track and field season continues Thursday with a Diamond League meet in Zurich, featuring Noah Lyles in the 200m.