Day 2 at the Grand Slam Track meet? Oh, it was about to get wild. After all the drama on Day 1, the stage was set for something huge, and leading the charge. A 24-year-old Kenyan track and field star, fresh off a world title in the 1500m, was ready to make her debut in the event on this stage. Fans were buzzing. Cameras were prepped. And then—bam. Plot twist. Mary Moraa is out. Just like that. No warning, no heads-up. The race we were all waiting for? Off the table. So, how did we find out?

Not some formal press release or breaking news alert. Nope, she dropped the news herself on Facebook, as the Citius mag revealed on X today. “Good evening my adorable fans…” You know it’s serious when someone opens with that. She said she came to Kingston ready to go all in on the 800m and 1500m, but a nagging medical issue had other plans. Not only was she out of the 1500m—she was pulling the plug on the entire event. “I came in Kingston hoping to stage standout performances in the Short Distance races — 800m and 1,500m — at the Grand Slam Track.”

Her withdrawal from the 1500m in Grand Slam Track not only removed her from that specific race but also from her overall race group. Her race consisted of two events, i.e., 800m and 1500m. On GST day 1, she ran an 800m, but the result wasn’t favourable as she ended up finishing in the last place (2:00.97). “Unfortunately, that will not happen since I am forced to withdraw from the second race — 1,500m — and the entire event tonight because of a recurring medical condition.” This means she forfeited the opportunity to compete for the prize money associated with her race group, potentially losing up to $100,000.

And even with the disappointment, Mary Moraa kept it all classy. No sulking, no shade. She gave a big shoutout to the organizers, especially Michael Johnson, for putting the Grand Slam Track together. Mary said, “I would like to thank the organisers of the event, especially legendary Michael Johnson, for the wonderful initiative and invite. I hope to recover and bounce back on time for the next event in Miami, USA.”Now, she’s got her eyes on Miami, hoping to shake this off and come back stronger.

Not just that, but she even showed love to Nikki Hiltz for bagging the 800-meter win. “Congratulations to Nikki Hiltz for winning the first race in 800m.” Fans? Yeah, they’re definitely not ready to stop watching her light up the track. But for Mary, it seems like bad luck has been following her since last year!

Paris tested her, but Mary Moraa’s ready to take over the Grand Slam Track

Mary Moraa has a big mission on her plate this year: defending her world title at the World Championships in Tokyo. But yeah, there’s a long road before she gets there, especially after all the struggles in the Paris Olympics. Do you remember? Mary Moraa walked into the 2024 Paris Olympics with one thing on her mind—gold. The reigning world champ had been building toward this moment for years, and all eyes were on her in the women’s 800m final.

She’d climbed the ranks from a semifinal exit at Tokyo 2020 to bronze at the 2022 Worlds, to Commonwealth Games champ, and then that golden high at the 2023 World Championships. So yeah, the pressure was real. And she looked strong—until the last 80 meters, when things suddenly took a turn. A sharp pain flared up in her leg mid-race, just as she was about to kick. And that was it. The medal’s color changed.

Moraa powered through the finish in 1:57.42, earning bronze behind Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, but it wasn’t the fairytale ending she had dreamed of. “I started feeling some pain in my leg,” she explained later. “I was feeling my body was responding well until the last 80 meters. So I fought to the finish. And I said to myself that I will be confident with my position.”

It wasn’t just the physical pain—she had no fellow Kenyans in the final to pace or push her. She was on her own and still dug deep to bring something home. “Being a lone ranger in the final was a bit difficult for me though, without any Kenyan.” It wasn’t gold, but it was gutsy—and that bronze might just shine brighter because of it. But her journey’s been all heart. Orphaned young. Mentored by Hellen Obiri (Olympic 5000m silver medallist) since her junior days in 2017. Built tough from day one. Now, as the Grand Slam Track tour heads to Miami on May 2, the goal is simple: heal up, reset, and come back even hungrier!