By Mitch Phillips
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Mary Moraa of Kenya delivered a storming finish to win the world 800 metres gold on Sunday, proving too good on the final straight for race favourites Keely Hodgkinson and Athing Mu in a reshuffle of the medals from last year.
Olympic and defending champion Mu, 21, set the pace from the gun but, having barely run the distance this season, was never able to open a gap.
Moraa stayed on her shoulder throughout and delivered her trademark final 100 metres burst to move past the American to triumph in 1:56.03, leaping and punching the air in celebration as she crossed the line.
Hodgkinson, just as she did in Eugene, tried to find a way through on the inside but though this time she got past Mu, was outsprinted by Moraa and had to settle for a second successive silver in 1:56.34, having also taken silver, behind Mu at the Tokyo Olympics.
Mu, whose participation had been in doubt until a few weeks before the championships as she flirted with the 1,500 metres took bronze in 1:56.61.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Toby Davis)
