Mark Otieno: Borrowed pair of shoes propelled me to the Olympics
Mark Otieno displays the pair of shoes given to him by Orogot Tarsis from Uganda (on his left hand) and the torn pair of shoes he has been using (on his right hand) after the 100 metres final at Kasarani on June 17, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Otieno's spikes had seen better days and was talking about them at the warm up track at Kasarani when Orogot overheard the conversion.
- Orogot would promise Otieno a pair of shoes. Orogot had a rider on a motorbike deliver a pair of new spikes to Otieno the same day.
A pair of new spikes from his Ugandan friend and sprinter Orogot Tarsis a day before the trials is what made the difference for Mark Otieno to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Otieno's spikes had seen better days and was talking about them at the warm up track at Kasarani when Orogot overheard the conversion.
Orogot would promise Otieno a pair of shoes. Orogot had a rider on a motorbike deliver a pair of new spikes to Otieno the same day.
"It such a humbling gesture from my brother from across the boarder...those are the things that make a big difference, " said Otieno, who clocked 10.05 to finish second in men's 100m and qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games on Thursday.
Ferdinand Omanyala won the race in a National Record time of 10.02s to also qualify for the Tokyo Summer Games.
"I feel sad that Orogot was disqualified after a false start but I want to also dedicate my qualifications to him," said Otieno. "I have been running with torn spikes and at one time I had to replace the sole."
Otieno said that he has been working since January to try and qualify for the Olympics.
