Otieno confident of Olympic qualification

National 100m record holder Mark Otieno is burning the midnight oil to ensure he seals a slot at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Otieno who holds the national record of 10.14 seconds he set during the 2017 National Championships, is confident of hitting the required 10.05 seconds to secure a ticket at the Olympics set to July 23- August 8 in Tokyo.

With the Summer Games drawing closer, Otieno has vowed to do what it takes to compete at the global fiesta.

“For sure, I am not far from it (10.05). This year I am looking forward to big things that include qualifying for the Olympics,” said Otieno.

The 27-year-old was in superb form when he clocked 10.24 seconds to win the men’s 100m race at the second leg of the Athletics Kenya Track and Field competition last weekend.

“I have mastered the art of running 100m and at the moment I am winding up some few things and then work on my speed. I can say I haven’t picked up yet but I am really happy with my development,” he said in his post-race interview.

At the same time, Otieno hailed his compatriot Ferdinand Omanyala who earlier this year had threatened his record.

“He is very raw. He helps push me to my limits whenever we compete together. Remember also he is a fast guy this year,” said Otieno.

Apart from the Olympics, Otieno is also eyeing to compete at the Africa Senior Championships scheduled for June in Algeria as well as the World Relays Championships slated for Poland in May with the national trials set for March 26-27.

“In 2019 we placed fourth at the World Relays and I hope this year we will make it to the finals. I am also happy the federation has invited some foreign teams which can help us hit the qualification for next year’s World Championships,” he said.