Kenya’s Mary Moraa takes 800m gold, US men stroll in 4x400m relays

Mary Moraa of Kenya delivered a storming finish to win the 800m gold on the final day of the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.

She proved 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 a personal best 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. She also got silver, behind Mu at the Tokyo Olympics and behind Moraa in last year's Commonwealth Games.

“After bronze last year I wanted to improve and I have,” Moraa said. “Everyone in the final 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.

was so fast I knew I would have to have a fast finish. I came from a long way behind but I managed to do it.”

The US emphatically won their ninth world men's 4x400 gold from the last 10 finals but the absence of their women's team allowed the Netherlands to take gold after one of the performances of the week by anchor Femke Bol.

Bol began the championships by inexplicably falling metres short of the line as she battled for gold in the 4x400 mixed relay but, after recovering to win the 400m hurdles, she ended it with an extraordinary burst down that same home straight.

With the ever-dominant US women absent after their semifinal disqualification, Sunday's race looked open but gold looked out of the question for the Dutch after three laps.

Bol collected the baton in third place, almost 20 metres adrift of leaders Jamaica and 10 behind Britain and was still well back going into the final straight.

She overhauled Britain's Nicole Yeargin and though first place still looked impossible with only 20 metres to go, she somehow dragged herself up to and beyond Jamaica's Stacey Ann Williams on the line.

The Dutch clocked 3:20.72, Jamaica’s second successive silver came in 3:20.88, with Britain taking bronze in 3.21.04.

The US men, who have won four of the last five Olympic golds as well as their worlds domination, were always in control of their race and came home well clear in 2:57.31.

Quincy Hall and Vernon Norwood built an early lead before Justin Robinson, who also got a gold in the mixed relay, stretched it to give anchor Rai Benjamin a virtual lap of honour.

That made four out of five relay golds after their double sprint success on Saturday and mixed 4x400 on opening night.

It also left them away and clear at the top of the medal table with 12 golds and 29 medals in all. Canada and Spain were next on the podium with four golds each.

France took a surprise silver as a national record 2:58.45 gave them their first medal of the championships. Britain took bronze in 2:58.71, holding off back-to-back silver medallists Jamaica.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway raced to victory in the 5,000m, bouncing back from bitter disappointment in the 1,500m four days earlier.

The 22-year-old, who has battled an illness this week, ran down Spain's Mohamed Katir over the final 50 metres to win in 13 minutes 11.30 seconds. Katir took the silver in 13:11.44, while Jacob Krop of Kenya crossed in 13:12.28 for bronze.

“I had to deliver an optimal race,” Ingebrigtsen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “I've been dizzy all day, and I didn't feel good in the warm-up, which I haven't done in the last few days either. Then it's incredibly big to still take the victory.”

Yaroslava Mahuchikh sailed to victory in the women's high jump for Ukraine's lone gold medal of the championships, a remarkable achievement in a season disrupted by the war in her homeland.

The 21-year-old, who was forced to flee her hometown of Dnipro, cleared 2.01 metres for her first world outdoor title after a pair of second-place finishes.

The bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, the last athlete competing on Sunday, missed on three attempts at 2.07 before taking an emotional bow.

“I am so proud to win this gold for my country,” said Mahuchikh, her blue and yellow eye makeup matching the colours of the Ukraine flag. “I can't wait to go back and show this medal to my coach.”

Eleanor Patterson, who arrived in Budapest with the world number one ranking, cleared 1.99m for silver, while Australia team mate Nicola Olyslagers also posted 1.99m, but took third on the countback.