Kenya began their quest for a gold medal in the women's 800m race at the current World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, on Friday.

Naomi Korir finished sixth in Heat 4 with a time of 2:01.61, advancing as a non-automatic qualifier. Renelle Lamote of France won that Heat in 2:00.71 seconds, ahead of Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu (2:00.93 seconds) and Ajee Wilson of the United States (2:01.02 seconds).

Moraa already has nine sub-two-minute times, including a personal best of one minute and 57.45 seconds set in the Kenyan trials on June 24, just days after winning her first Diamond League in Rabat in 1:58.93 on June 5 and finishing fourth in Rome in 1:59.26 on June 9.

In Heat 1, Kenya's Jarinter Mawia finished fifth in 2:02.35, behind Ethiopia's Diribe Weleteji in 1:58.83, Great Britain's Jemma in 1:59.09, and Jamaica's Adelle Tracey in 1:59.20.

In 2019, Kenya's Eunice Sum finished fourth, missing out on medals in a race won by Uganda's Halima Nakaayi.

Kenya has won two medals in the games since its establishment in 1983, with Janeth Jepkosgei in Osaka in 2007 and Sum in Moscow in 2011.