Olympic 800m bronze medallist Mary Moraa has turned her focus to the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, as she seeks to rediscover top form after a challenging 2025 season.Moraa heads into the Games as defending champion following her victory at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she won gold in 1:57.07 ahead of England’s Keely Hodgkinson (1:57.40) and Scotland’s Laura Muir (1:57.87). Her target is clear.“This is a Commonwealth year, so the target is to get back stronger,” said Moraa. The Kenyan star endured an inconsistent 2025 campaign, struggling to maintain her best level across major races.She opened her Diamond League season with second place in Stockholm in 1:57.83 before fading to ninth in 2:00.51 at the Prefontaine Classic. Moraa later stepped up to the 1,000m at the Monaco meeting, clocking 2:48.67 for 12th place.At the World Athletics Championships, she finished seventh in the women’s 800m final in 1:57.10 after failing to produce her trademark finishing burst. However, Moraa says she has responded positively since Tokyo. “I started my training well after Tokyo, although I was not feeling well, but now I feel my body is okay,” she said.In a break from routine, Moraa will skip this season’s Kip Keino Classic, usually her preferred launchpad for the outdoor campaign. “I was to start my season with Kip Keino because that is where I always kick off my outdoor season to test my body,” she explained.She also welcomed the growing strength of the women’s 800m field. “The current competition in the women’s 800m is what we need now so that we can get faster times and set PBs.”Despite recent struggles, Moraa remains one of Kenya’s most accomplished athletes. She claimed bronze at the 2024 Summer Olympics in 1:57.42 and won world gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in a superb 1:55.03.
