Nairobi — Kenyan 800m specialist Mary Moraa admits that the visa hitches witnessed in the run-up to the World Championship in Oregon may prevent athletes affected from performing well in the competition.
Several high profile athletes, such as Britain's Chris Thompson and the 2016 Africa 5000m champion Sheila Chepkirui, failed to travel to the United States whereas African 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala made it to Hayward Field, three hours before his race.
Moraa admitted it was disheartening to see someone's dream go up in smoke after fighting so hard to qualify.
"Of course, it is very disappointing and confusing to go through such a situation. Many of us have worked hard to qualify for the World Championship and to encounter such hurdles in travelling can distract an athlete from the competition at hand. Anyway, our hands were tied and we have just to follow the procedures for accessing the visa," Moraa said.
The 2017 World Under 18 400m silver medalist is expected in action on Thursday as the heats for the women's 800m commence.
Moraa is in a rich vein of form, having won in the same race at the national trials for the World Championship and Commonwealth Games in June, following on from her first Diamond League win in Rome in the same month.
Although she admits that a first medal at the senior level is overdue, Moraa prefers to remain modest about her targets in Oregon.
"We have been training well so far and have worked on our weak areas. We are all ready to go and will consult among ourselves on the best game plan. However, it would be too early to say that I will win a medal but just to take it step-by-step. My immediate objective is to shave off a few microseconds from my personal best and then make it to the final," Moraa said.
"Anybody can win. It is anybody's race because anything can happen. I know that Athing Mu (Olympic champion) is one of the favorites but I have not prepared any specific strategy to deal with her. It is only when we get to the start that I will be able to gauge where the race may sway," she added.
Moraa will be hoping to go one better than the Tokyo Olympics where she exited in the semis.
Other Kenyan representatives in the one-lap race include African champion Jarinter Mawia and Naomi Korir.
