Lilian Odira: World 800m Champion Explains How it Felt Beating Mentor and Best Friend Mary Moraa in Tokyo

Lilian Odira has opened up about competing against Mary Moraa and how it felt like winning the 800m title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

In the women’s 800m, Lilian Odira entered the event as an underdog, since the Olympic champion, Keely Hodgkinson and Mary Moraa, the defending champion, were in the mix.

However, Lilian Odira shocked the whole world to claim the win, stormed to victory in a personal best time of 1:54.62 to shatter the 42-year-old record of 1:54.68 set by Czech legend Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.

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Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson followed closely, claiming silver and bronze in 1:54.90 and 1:54.91, respectively. Mary Moraa faded to seventh place in 1:57.10 after looking like the likely winner in the first lap of the race.

Lilian Odira explained that Mary Moraa is one of her good friends, and before the 800m final, they had discussed how best they would do to ensure the title remains in Kenya.

Odira pointed out that while in Tokyo, they shared a room, and before they stepped on the track, Mary Moraa urged her and Sarah Moraa not to worry about her and to focus on executing a clean race.

“Mary Moraa is my good friend; she is one of the best friends that I have, and I think this was the second time we were running together after the Olympic trials,” Lilian Odira told NTV’s Sport On.

“Before the race, Mary Moraa said we give it our all. She was my roommate, and she advised that we don’t go back to the room with regrets...it was nice.”

Lilian Odira further noted that the togetherness in the women’s camp is what led to their success at the World Athletics Championships.

Team Kenya won 11 medals, and out of those, nine medals were won by the women. The Kenyan women also had a clean sweep of gold medals, from the 800m to the marathon.

On top of Lilian Odira’s gold medal in the 800m, Faith Kipyegon won another gold in the 1500m as Dorcus Ewoi finished second. Faith Cherotich reigned supreme in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.

Beatrice Chebet secured double gold in the women’s 5000m and 10,000m, with Faith Kipyegon walking away with a silver medal in the 5000m. Peres Jepchirchir won a gold medal in the women’s marathon.

In the men’s category, Reynold Cheruiyot and Edmund Serem won bronze medals in the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase, respectively, with Emmanuel Wanyonyi securing the gold in the men’s 800m.

“I think in sports, unity and love are the key things. In 2023, Mary was the world champion, and she never knew if I would be a world champion, but I am now, and I don’t know who will be the next champion,” Lilian Odira added.

“Love and unity work together, and we never envy anybody. and right now, if I go to a race with Mary Moraa and she wins, I won’t envy her because that is her hard work. We have that unity, and we have a lot of support.

“When I was going to the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia, Mary Moraa called me and told me not to let go of the pace, and I feel like this is someone who wishes me well, so I shouldn’t have a reason to envy her. The unity and love are why we are prospering.”

Lilian Odira’s reflections highlight that beyond her record-breaking triumph, it is the unity, friendship, and mutual support among Kenya’s women athletes that continue to drive their historic dominance on the global stage.