Mary Moraa Triumphs Over Keely Hodgkinson in Lausanne Diamond League 2023
Posted By Dennis Nyambane | July 1, 2023|
The highly anticipated clash between Mary Moraa and Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m event at the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne on Friday (June 30) ended with a decisive victory for the Kenyan runner.
In an impressive display of skill and speed, Mary Moraa crossed the finish line in 1:57.43, leaving Hodgkinson behind.
Reflecting on the race, Hodgkinson expressed her disappointment, stating that it was not her best performance.
She acknowledged Mary Moraa’s superior performance and admitted that she was outperformed on that day.
Despite holding the British record with a time of 1:55.77 in her previous 800m race, Hodgkinson finished almost a second behind Mary Moraa, clocking in at 1:58.37. Jemma Reekie, another British athlete, finished fifth with a time of 1:59.32.
Moraa took the lead from the start, leading Hodgkinson through the first lap in 57.4 seconds. She maintained control of the race, setting the pace and forcing Hodgkinson to run wide on the final bend. Moraa unleashed a strong kick in the home straight, securing her victory.
Moraa described the race as a challenging one, mentioning the relatively cool weather conditions as an added difficulty.
In another thrilling event at the Lausanne Diamond League, Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia showcased his talent in the men’s 5000m race.
After taking the lead halfway through the race, Aregawi displayed incredible stamina, completing the last lap in 55.7 seconds and finishing with a time of 12:40.45.
This outstanding performance propelled him to the fifth position on the world all-time rankings, placing him alongside renowned long-distance runners such as Joshua Cheptegei, Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie, and Daniel Komen.
Cheptegei, the world record-holder from Uganda, gave a commendable performance but fell short of matching Aregawi’s finish time. Cheptegei completed the race in 12:41.61, securing the second position.
Hagos Gebrhiwet and Telahun Haile Bekele finished third and fourth, respectively, with times of 12:49.80 and 12:49.81.
The Norwegian runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen continued to impress in the 1500m event, crossing the finish line comfortably in 3:28.72.
With his exceptional performance, Ingebrigtsen secured another victory, adding to his remarkable European record of 3:27.95 set in Oslo two weeks earlier.
Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia finished second with an Ethiopian record time of 3:29.51, while Josh Kerr, a British athlete, achieved a brilliant season’s best of 3:29.64, which stands as his second-best time after his Olympic bronze medal-winning performance.
The Lausanne Diamond League also witnessed Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast winning the women’s 100m race with a time of 10.88 seconds.
Daryll Neita from Britain secured the second position with a time of 11.07 seconds. Mujinga Kambundji, the world indoor champion, faced challenges and finished with a time of 11.41 seconds in front of her home Swiss crowd following an injury.
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