Mark Otieno is not giving up on his Olympic dream just yet as he eyes the L.A. 2028 Olympic Games, which might be his final Olympics.
Mark Otieno has opened up about plans to represent the country at the L.A. 2028 Olympic Games after missing out on the Paris Olympics.
The three-time national champion had earlier expressed regret after missing the Paris Olympics but is confident that all is not lost as he gears up for the L.A. 2028 Olympic Games. First, he has his eyes set on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan before thinking big ahead of the 2028 showpiece.
Tokyo holds a significant place in Otieno’s heart since he made his Olympic debut there, during the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. However, it was at the event that he was suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit when he was due to compete in the men’s 100m semifinal.
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“I missed this year’s Paris Olympic Games but that is not the end of the road for me…my focus is on the L.A. 2028 Olympics. I know it may look like it’s a little bit far but I’m confident I’ll represent my country at the Olympic Games. Though it may be my final Olympic Games,” Otieno told Pulse Sports Kenya.
“Of course, next year we have the World Championships in Tokyo and I would love to go there. I’ve never been to a World Championship and if God grants me the grace, then I will make my first appearance in Tokyo. I’m working hard towards achieving my goals and I hope next season will be better,” he added.
Otieno made a comeback to the track mid-last year after serving his two-year doping ban. He competed at the 5° Meeting Brazzale in Italy where he finished second.
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This year, he began his outdoor campaign at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas before proceeding to the Kenyan Olympic trials where he failed to achieve the qualification time for the Paris Olympics.
He tried bidding for the qualification time at the Africa Athletics Championships but was unable to get to the final of the men’s 100m. He finished fifth in the men’s 100m semifinal and competed in the men’s 4x100m relay team that finished fifth in the final.
He then raced at the International Wiesław Maniak Memorial and finished third, clocking 10.60 seconds to cross the finish line before calling it a season.