Former national champion Mark Otieno is looking at the glass half-full after a challenging season that has seen him record both highs and lows.
It is one year since Otieno returned to action from his two-year doping ban with the aim of making sure he clinches a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
However, getting to the Olympics meant he needed to clock 10 seconds and below before the June 30, 2024 deadline, something he was not able to do, and has struggled to hit all season, leaving him frustrated.
Otieno could only manage 10.12 seconds at the Olympics trials in June and any hopes of righting those wrongs and the Africa Championships went up in smoke following his time of 10.42, when he exited at the semi-final, and his most recent race, the International Wiesław Maniak Memorial in Szczecin, Poland yielded 10.60 on August 28.
It has been a mixed bag of fortunes for Otieno who has revealed his frustration at his inability to achieve his desires while remaining positive at the same time.
“This season has been a roller-coaster of emotions,” Otieno posted on social media.
“Some expectations went unmet, and I’ve had to trust that, God Is still Good, and He Is Sovereign. I’ve made Peace with the fact that if I never break sub-10, I am and will still be grateful that I get to run for a living.”
Otieno’s optimism stems from the fact that he is back on track after serving his two-year ban for the use of the prohibited substance Methasterone.
He will be looking to make amends in 2025 with the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan his main goal.
