• Omanyala will line up for the men’s 100m at 11:35am on Saturday with Were’s race set for Sunday 8:05pm. Ekwam is set to compete on Monday at 11:05am Kenyan time.
• He pointed out that Omanyala needed to strive for better performance in his second appearance at the global showpiece.
Image: HANDOUT
National sprints' coach Stephen Mwaniki emphasises that composure will be crucial for the sprint athletes as they seek to secure final spots in their respective events at the Paris Olympics.
Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala (100m), Zablon Ekwam (400m) and Wiseman Were (400m hurdles) will be Kenya’s sprint representatives in Paris.
Omanyala will line up for the men’s 100m at 11:35 am on Saturday with Were’s race set for Sunday at 8:05 pm. Ekwam is set to compete on Monday at 11:05 am Kenyan time.
Mwaniki acknowledges that nerves might affect the trio, owing to the intensity of sprint events in recent times.
“Sprint events are becoming highly competitive and the Olympics is such a grand stage. Athletes may be nervous when they line up on the track,” Mwaniki revealed.
"If they stay composed and run according to their training and coaching directives, they have a strong chance of reaching the finals," he added.
He pointed out that Omanyala needed to strive for better performance in his second appearance at the global showpiece.
“Omanyala needs to put effort and secure the finals and a medal afterwards. This is his second appearance on the big stage. He has gained the experience which he has to execute accordingly,” Mwaniki remarked.
Omanyala’s last Olympic appearance was during the Tokyo 2020 Games, where he was eliminated in the semifinals after clocking 10.00 seconds for third place.
On the other hand, Were and Ekwam will be making their maiden appearances at the Olympics. Despite the challenging qualification standards, Mwaniki praised the duo for making their Olympic debuts.
“Being an Olympian is already an incredible feat for Were and Ekwam. Many athletes did not meet the qualifying standards for the Olympics,” he noted.
Were met the qualifying standards at the Kip Keino Classic on April 20, where he clocked 48.57 seconds, setting a meet record in the 400m hurdles.
Ekwam also qualified in the 400m at the same meet, finishing fourth in 44.69 seconds with Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori (44.10), USA’s Bryce Deadmon (44.41) and Botswana’s Leungo Scotch (44.54) securing the podium.
However, Mwaniki is aware of the tough competition awaiting them in Paris. “They will be up against some top athletes and the heats are always challenging right from the start," he admitted.
Omanyala will flex muscles with world champion Noah Lyles of USA, the fastest man in the world this year Kishane Thompson of Jamaica and 200m Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek.
Were will face Olympic champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, world indoor bronze medallist Rusheen McDonald of Jamaica and Great Britain's Olympic silver medallist Mathew Hudson-Smith in the 400m hurdles.
Ekwam will compete against Olympic champion Karsten Warholm of Norway and two-time World silver medallist Rai Benjamin of the USA in the 400m.