Moraa, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion and silver medalist from Oregon last year clocked 1:59.89 to make the semis.

The Kenyan two-lap star took control of the race from start to finish, ensuring she commanded the tempo to win in the fastest time among the seven heats.

She went through the first lap in 58.61 and at the bell, when the surging group threatened to go past her, she resisted to stay ahead till the finish line.

Raevyn Rogers of the USA was second in 2:00.06 while Worknesh Mesele of Ethiopia took the last of the three automatic qualification slots coming home third in 2:00.13.

So fast was this heat that two of the three non automatic qualifiers came off here, Jazz Shukla of Canada and Eloisa Coiro of Italy sneaking into the semis.

Meanwhile, compatriots Vivian Kiprotich and Naomi Korir were not lucky after finishing fourth and seventh in their respective heats.