AS ONE WOULD EXPECT in the case of an Olympic and World champion undefeated as a pro, much of the premeet attention focused on Athing Mu. Thanks to a cryptic comment from her coach, Bobby Kersee, the public remained unsure whether she would actually run in Budapest until the moment she showed up on the track. And her fitness remained a question mark, since she had raced just one 800 this season.
The end result was that no one quite knew what to expect from the favorite here. In hindsight, only one thing was sure: Mu’s opponents were waiting for her.
All the principals skated through Wednesday’s heats, including Kenyan Mary Moraa (1:59.89), Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson (1:59.53) and Mu (1:59.59). The fastest time went to Nia Akins with her 1:59.19; Raevyn Rogers (2:00.06) got through as well, though fourth American Kaela Edwards (2:02.22) did not.
The semis came on Friday night. In the first, Hodgkinson (1:58.41) was pushed to the line by Akins and her 1:58.61 PR. The second went to Britain’s Jemma Reekie (2:00.28); Rogers kicked to a 2:00.47 that had the effect of edging Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin (2:00.78) out of the final.
With the third semi came drama. Moraa led and Mu attempted to run in the pack, a bumpy experiment (“I dang near got beat up”). At 400, Moraa led at 57.35. Not long after, Mu got tripped up by South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodisa, who fell. Once she regained her footing, Mu found herself 10m behind. She kept her cool and gradually made her way back to the front pack. Moraa won in 1:58.48 with Mu at 1:58.78. Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi (1:58.89) and Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey (1:58.99) got the time-qualifying spots.
For the final, Mu said later, “I’m not going to put myself in that position again, and that’s the reason I went out so fast.” After a 26.51 opener, she passed 400 in 56.01 with Moraa on her shoulder and the rest of the field packed tightly behind. Coming off the next turn, she made an attempt to get away, suddenly putting a meter between herself and her pursuers. That didn’t last.
At 600, it was Mu in 1:26.21, Moraa 1:26.32, Hodgkinson 1:26.45. Reekie and Akins battled for the fourth spot and both looked like potential medalists should one of the big 3 falter. Coming off the turn, Mu ran wide to force Moraa farther out. In the final dash, however, Mu did not have what her opponents did. Moraa flashed by convincingly on the outside to win gold in 1:56.03, and Hodgkinson tucked to the rail and won silver in 1:56.34. Mu would take bronze in 1:56.61, her first 800 loss as a professional.
With Reekie and Akins racing to the line, Rogers kicked by both for 4th in 1:57.45. A photo decided Reekie’s edge on Akins, 1:57.72–1:57.73. For U.S. champ Akins, it was the second PR of the meet.
Moraa, 23, celebrated her victory with a dance on the track and said, “After bronze last year I wanted to improve and I have. Everyone in the final was so fast I knew I would have to have a fast finish. I came from a long way behind but I managed to do it.”
“It was always going to be tough,” admitted Hodgkinson, who now has three straight global silvers. “I put myself in a position to attack. I thought I was going to come through on the inside but the line came up sooner than I thought.”
Mu, who had produced the No. 9 U.S. time ever, took her loss quite philosophically: “I’m OK with where I’m at… I’m not upset with it at all.”
WOMEN’S 800 RESULTS
FINAL (August 27)
1. Mary Moraa (Ken) 1:56.03 PR
(26.52, 29.55 [56.07], 30.25 [1:26.32], 29.71) (56.07/59.96);
2. Keely Hodgkinson (GB) 1:56.34
(26.57, 29.77 [56.34], 30.11 [1:26.45], 29.89) (56.34/60.00);
3. Athing Mu (US) 1:56.61 (AL) (x, 9 A)
(26.51, 29.50 [56.01], 30.11 [1:26.12], 30.49) (56.01/60.60);
4. Raevyn Rogers (US) 1:57.45
(26.97, 29.60 [56.57], 30.55 [1:27.12], 30.33) (56.57/60.88);
5. Jemma Reekie (GB) 1:57.72
(26.55, 29.72 [56.27], 30.24 [1:26.51], 31.21) (56.27/61.45);
6. Nia Akins (US) 1:57.73 PR
(26.90, 29.57 [56.47], 30.28 [1:26.75], 30.98) (56.47/61.26);
7. Adelle Tracey (Jam) 1:58.41 PR
(27.25, 29.48 [56.73], 30.59 [1:27.32], 31.09) (56.73/61.68);
8. Halimah Nakaayi (Uga) 1:59.18 (26.82, 29.55 [56.37], 30.73 [1:27.10], 32.08) (56.37/62.81).
HEATS (August 23)
I–1. Hodgkinson 1:59.53; 2. Prudence Sekgodisa (SA) 1:59.72; 3. Eveliina Määttänen (Fin) 2:00.41; 4. Vivian Chebet (Ken) 2:01.26; 5. Elena Bellò (Ita) 2:01.38; 6. Angelika Sarna (Pol) 2:01.78; 7. Lorea Ibarzabal (Spa) 2:06.33; 8. Perina Lokure Nakang (Ref) 2:15.84.
II–1. Moraa 1:59.89; 2. Rogers 2:00.06; 3. Worknesh Mesele (Eth) 2:00.13; 4. Jazz Shukla (Can) 2:00.30 PR; 5. Eloisa Coiro (Ita) 2:00.36; 6. Gabriela Gajanová (Svk) 2:00.39; 7. Daniela Garcia (Spa) 2:00.92; 8. Margarita Koczanowa (Pol) 2:03.23.
III–1. Noélie Yarigo (Ben) 1:59.96; 2. Christina Hering (Ger) 2:00.06; 3. Abbey Caldwell (Aus) 2:00.29; 4. Gabija Galvydytė (Lit) 2:00.79; 5. Lena Kandissounon (Fra) 2:00.81; 6. Audrey Werro (Swi) 2:01.03; 7. Naomi Korir (Ken) 2:01.41; 8. Madeleine Kelly (Can) 2:04.72.
IV–1. Nakaayi 1:59.68; 2. Tracey 1:59.82; 3. Renelle Lamote (Fra) 2:00.22; 4. Claudia Bobocea (Rom) 2:00.54 PR; 5. Louise Shanahan (Ire) 2:00.66; 6. Tigist Girma (Eth) 2:01.47 PR; 7. Oratile Nowe (Bot) 2:01.62 NR; 8. Kaela Edwards (US) 2:02.22.
V–1. Akins 1:59.19; 2. Reekie 1:59.71; 3. Anita Horvat (Slo) 2:00.06; 4. Bianka Bartha-Kéri (Hun) 2:00.20; 5. Rachel Pellaud (Swi) 2:01.05; 6. Olha Lyakhova (Ukr) 2:03.11; 7. Ellie Sanford (Aus) 2:03.55; 8. Patrícia Silva (Por) 2:05.54.
VI–1. Habitam Alemu (Eth) 1:59.36; 2. Catriona Bisset (Aus) 1:59.46; 3. Flavia de Lima (Bra) 2:00.92; 4. Hedda Hynne (Nor) 2:01.00; 5. Lorena Martin (Spa) 2:01.25; 6. Rose M. Almanza (Cub) 2:01.33; 7. Majtie Kolberg (Ger) 2:01.41; 8. Agnes Raharolahy (Fra) 2:01.93.
VII–1. Mu 1:59.59; 2. Natoya Goule-Toppin (Jam) 1:59.64; 3. Lore Hoffmann (Swi) 2:00.14; 4. Annemarie Nissen (Den) 2:00.47; 5. Assia Raziki (Mor) 2:00.91 PR; 6. Isabelle Boffey (GB) 2:01.40; 7. Nataliia Krol (Ukr) 2:01.62; 8. Anna Wielgosz (Pol) 2:03.61.
SEMIS (August 25)
I–1. Hodgkinson 1:58.48; 2. Akins 1:58.61 PR; 3. Yarigo 1:59.43; 4. Mesele 1:59.54; 5. Määttänen 1:59.81 PR; 6. Bisset 1:59.94; 7. Horvat 2:00.54; 8. de Lima 2:00.77.
II–1. Reekie 2:00.28; 2. Rogers 2:00.47; 3. Goule-Toppin 2:00.78; 4. Alemu 2:01.02; 5. Hoffmann 2:01.05; 6. Lamote 2:01.25; 7. Hering 2:01.66; 8. Bartha-Kéri 2:01.68.
III–1. Moraa 1:58.48; 2. Mu 1:58.78; 3. Nakaayi 1:58.89; 4. Tracey 1:58.99 PR; 5. Caldwell 1:59.05; 6. Coiro 1:59.61 PR; 7. Shukla 2:00.23 PR; 8. Sekgodisa 2:11.68.
