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Sprinter Mark Otieno is keeping hope alive that he will seal Olympics qualification but will not be overly disappointed if he misses out.
Former 100m national champion Mark Otieno is still hopeful of making it to the Olympics but will not be overly disappointed if he does not make it.
Otieno came close to securing his spot in Paris after clocking 10.12 to finish second behind Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala at the Athletics Kenya Olympics trials but fell short of the 10 seconds required to seal an Olympics ticket.
It means he has to run 10 seconds or faster before June 30 to secure qualification which leaves him with little time but he is not worried by the prospect of missing out.
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16:26 - 16.06.2024
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“If I miss it, is not the end of the world and the good thing is I really fought so hard to be there,” said Otieno.
“I know running a 10.00 looks like a Goliath but there is David in between and I believe it is also possible but if it doesn’t happen, I am really grateful that I am able to come back, bring my body into a competition mood.
“I know Ferdinand has been racing for the past two years, he has an advantage over me. I have not run 9 seconds physically yet but with time, it is going to happen and 2025 is going to be big.”
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19:42 - 16.06.2024
Ferdinand Omanyala strikes with a world lead as Mark Otieno secures automatic Olympics slot
Ferdinand Omanyala has clocked his second-fastest time with Mark Otieno securing his automatic Olympic qualification slot at the Kenyan Olympic trials.
Otieno will look forward to the African Athletics Championships in Doula, Cameroon from June 21-26 as the best possible event to clock the Olympic qualifying standard.
Whatever happens, he is looking forward to a big 2025 with the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan his main focus.
The 31-year-old has been building up speed since his return from a two-year doping ban last August and will be encouraged by his time of 10.12 which was a season’s best.
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