Kenya's Mary Moraa confirms participation in US meet

Kenya's 800-meter sensation Mary Moraa will race some of the finest runners in the world when they battle at the Prefontaine Classic in the US in July.

Moraa will take on Britain's Kelly Hodgkinson and Ethiopian athlete Tsige Duguma as the three medalists at the last Olympic Games in Paris meet at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The inaugural “Mutola 800m,” has been named in honour of the Prefontaine Classic's most awarded athlete ever, Maria Mutola, and will be headlined by a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games women’s 800m medalists.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson from Great Britain looks to defend her 2024 Pre Classic title in the two-lap event, where she ran 1:55.78.

In addition to her Olympic gold from Paris, Hodgkinson won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo and holds two World Athletics Championships silver medals to her name.

Her best performance clocks in at 1:54.61, the British national record, run in 2024. Hodgkinson is currently ranked first in the world in the women’s 800m.

Reigning Olympic silver medalist Tsige Duguma from Ethiopia joins the Pre Classic field for the second time in her career, having run 1:58.70 for 8th place in 2024.

Duguma’s Olympic silver medal performance at the Stade de France earned her a new personal best in the event: 1:57.15.

She is the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Champion in the women’s 800m, becoming Ethiopia’s first world champion in the event.

Duguma is currently ranked third in the world in the women’s 800m.

Reigning Olympic bronze medalist Mary Moraa returns to race at the Prefontaine Classic for the third time in her career.

Two of her fastest 800m times have occurred at the meet: 1:56.71 in 2024 and 1:57.42 in 2023, when the meet served as the Wanda Diamond League Final.

Moraa holds the World Record in the women’s 600m discipline and currently ranked second in the world in the women’s 800m.