•Currently, Kenya ranks 27th in the men's 4x100m, 15th in the men's 4x400m, and 20th in the mixed relay, with the women's 4x400m at 25th place.
•The Kenyan relay teams recently participated in the ASA Grand Prix continental tour in Johannesburg, South Africa, last week.
Image: FILE
Kenya's sprint coach Stephen Mwaniki wants top sprinters Ferdinnard Omanyala and Mark Otieno included in the 4x100 relay team as they race against time to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Mwaniki emphasised the significance of star athletes like Omanyala and Otieno in enhancing the men's 4x100m relay time.
"Our goal is clear; we want to elevate our performance and rankings. The men's 4x100m relay is hanging by a thread, and bringing in talents like Omanyala and Otieno is crucial in ramping up our times before the qualification deadline," stated Mwaniki.
Currently, Kenya ranks 27th in the men's 4x100m, 15th in the men's 4x400m, and 20th in the mixed relay, with the women's 4x400m at 25th place.
To secure a spot in the Olympics, Kenya must first compete in the World Relay Championships in Nassau, Bahamas, on May 4-5.
With only the top 32 teams gaining entry, the pressure is on during the qualification period, which runs from January 1, 2023, to April 7, 2024 (Sunday).
From the Bahamas meet, only the top 14 teams will qualify for the Olympics. Mwaniki revealed that Athletics Kenya plans to utilise the upcoming world relay trials to boost their rankings.
"In the men's 4x100m, we're facing tough competition, with nearly 40 nations vying for a spot in the Bahamas. Our focus is on improving our standings during the trials this Saturday, with one foreign nation invited to ensure our ranking is recognised by World Athletics," added Mwaniki.
Participation in the trials is by invitation only, with only the top-ranked athletes receiving invites, according to World Athletics.
Notably, star athletes like Omanyala, Otieno and African 400m champion Mary Moraa are eager to compete.
“Omanyala is willing to compete and so is Otieno and the likes of Moraa. With these athletes on our teams, we are assured of a ticket to Paris. We want to build a team that will boost our ranking,” he stated.
With eyes set on Paris, Mwaniki stressed the importance of securing qualification in the Bahamas and aiming for a top 14 global ranking.
“If we book a ticket to the Bahamas, we need to put effort and get ranked among the top 14 nations worldwide,” he stated.
Highlighting the need for improvement, Mwaniki acknowledged the recent participation in South Africa, where prior commitments affected their performance.
“We need to improve our times. We missed out on a better placing because most of the athletes had prior engagements in Ghana for the African Games,” Mwaniki noted.
The Kenyan relay teams recently participated in the ASA Grand Prix continental tour in Johannesburg, South Africa, last week.
The men's 4x100m team claimed third place, while the 4x400m and women's relay teams secured second place, with the mixed relay team also clinching second place.