#BudaQuest | Tracey makes 800 final, Goule-Toppin out

Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey qualified from a bruising women’s 800-metre semifinal heat to make her first final at a World Athletics Championships inside the National Athletics Centre earlier today.

While there was elation for Tracey, who was pulled to a personal best 1:58.99 minutes, there was disappointment for national record holder, Natoya Goule-Toppin, who failed to make the top two automatic qualification spots in a relatively slow heat.

With the knowledge that 1:59.54 would be needed by non-automatic qualifiers, Goule-Toppin’s heat was surprisingly slow through the first lap and a half before the diminutive runner made her move with 200 metres to go.

Unfortunately, the race was stacked with kickers, two of whom, Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie, and the United States Raevyn Rogers, circled her with 25 metres to go, her eventual time of 2:00.78 too slow to get her through.

In contrast, Tracey’s heat seemed more aware of the need to push the pace and finished the first 400 metres in a nippy 57.35 seconds.

The very eventful race even had a fall, with South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso falling to the turf and almost taking out defending champion, the United States’ Athing Mu.

Mu recovered to get around Tracey and third-place non-automatic qualifier, Uganda’s Halimah Nakaaya, 1:58.89, to finish second in 1:58.78.

Post-to-tape winner, Kenya’s Mary Moraa won in 1:58.48, the first four past the post making the final.

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