Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno is convinced Kenyan relay teams still stand a chance to punch tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Otieno said he was thrilled to have flown the nation's flag at the World Relay Championships in the Bahamas despite Kenya's dismal performance.
"I was delighted to represent Kenya in the Bahamas even though our performance didn't rise to the occasion," Otieno remarked.
“Being part of the championships was a humbling experience that offered some key lessons that could be used to turn around the team's fortunes in the next qualifiers," he added.
Otieno said they would burn the midnight oil in training as they frantically grope for the elusive ticket. "We took our best shot and I feel proud of Team Kenya."
It's now time to return to the drawing board and map out an effective strategy for the next competition,” Otieno stated.
"We still hope to clinch an Olympic Games ticket through other qualifiers before the June 30 deadline," he added.
Team Kenya failed to nail direct tickets to the Paris Games in the first and second rounds of the qualifiers at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau.
Otieno comprised the 4×100m team spearheaded by Commonwealth 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala.
Team Kenya lined up competitors in the mixed relays, men’s 4x100m, men’s 4x400m, and women’s 4x400m.
The contingent's campaign got off to a torrid note with three of the teams wrapping up last on the first day of the contest.
Efforts to redeem Kenya's image on the second day of the competition ended in disarray after the mixed relay team finished last in their heat while the men’s 4×100m team fizzled out to a disappointing fourth.
Matters got even worse when the men's 4×400m team managed a fourth-place finish while the women’s team wrapped up last.
The top two finishers in each heat sealed a direct berth to the Paris Games with a total of 70 teams punching direct tickets.
The first 40 successful teams were verified on May 4 and the final 30 on May 5 after the second Olympic qualifying round for teams that failed to sparkle on Day One.
All teams that qualified on Saturday flexed their muscles for the lush prize purse and Olympic Lane seeding positions.
