Sarah Moraa eyeing 800m title at the Lima World U-20 Championships

Africa 800m champion Sarah Moraa is eager to secure her first global title at the World Under-20 Championships, scheduled for August to 31 in Lima, Peru.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Sarah has channeled her energy into positive training.

She noted that this years’ experience taught her valuable lessons, and she's aiming to achieve two goals: securing a podium finish in Lima and qualifying for the World Athletics Championships next year in Tokyo, Japan.

The second youngest of five siblings, Sarah is quick to acknowledge that success doesn't happen overnight and is not pressuring herself for immediate results.

“When I look at my role model, mentor, and training partner Mary Moraa, she didn’t advance past the semifinals in her first Olympics in Tokyo, but now she’s an Olympic bronze medalist and a world champion. This shows she was resilient, patient, and learned from her experiences to become more successful,” Sarah said.

Sarah's journey to securing a spot on Team Kenya was challenging. She needed to clock 1:59.30 but was 0.09 seconds shy of the qualifying time during the Olympic trials. Her attempt at the African Senior Championships was invalidated by World Athletics due to issues with the timing equipment.

Undeterred, the former Mugunga Secondary School student tried again during the Under-20 trials on June 28th, clocking her best time at 2:00.01 despite being slightly jetlagged.

“I was very sad that day. I really wanted to make it to the team, but it wasn’t my time yet. Now, I’m well-prepared, energetic, and motivated, and I’m hopeful of a podium finish in Peru,” Sarah added.

Winning the world title would be an inspiring moment for her family and her former High School principal, Aron Onchoga.

Onchoga is credited for discovering 800m Olympic bronze medalist and defending world champion Moraa.

“Mary is highly respected and praised back home in Nyaisa, Nyamira County, for her discipline and achievements. She is the reason I wanted to join athletics,” Sarah said.

Team Kenya head coach Robert Ngisirei is confident the team will star in Peru. He mentioned that some athletes had academic examinations during the two months of training, which interfered with their preparation, but they are now back on track.

“We have done our part; the athletes are confident and will be comfortable even if the race pace is fast. We used some of the Olympic races as teaching moments, and I have confidence in them. I pray that the Lord protects them from any injuries and grants them good health,” Ngisirei stated.

The veteran coach also praised the federation's efforts, in partnership with the Government, to fund youth programs. These initiatives have helped identify talents like former World Under-20 Cross Country champion Ishmael Kirui, Africa 800m champion Sarah Moraa, Mary Nyaboge, and Josphat Sang, who will represent Team Kenya in Lima.

“I pray the government continues to fund youth camps, so we can nurture more emerging talents. The world is evolving rapidly, and early preparations are crucial for success, which is why we sometimes fall short in some races,” Ngisirei added.

Since the championship's inception in 1986, Team Kenya has topped the medal table five times at the World Under-20 Championships.