National champion Ekwam says he is not under pressure as he heads to Paris Olympics

Men's 400m national champion Zablon Ekwam feels honoured to be among the hundreds of athletes who will grace the Paris 2024 Olympics in France later this month.

To him, this is a dream come true as his vision has always been to take part in the prestigious Summer Games that gives individuals the revered Olympian status.

Ekwam clocked 44.69 at this year's Kip Keino Classic held at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi to qualify for the Paris showdown.

Ahead of his exciting debut at the Olympics, the 26-year-old Kenya Defence Force officer attached to the 78 Tank Battalion is working on his speed and endurance at the venue that blessed him with the coveted ticket to Paris.

He is also fortifying his mind with mental focus as high-profile international meets are mostly won mentally apart from the physical prowess.

"I feel no pressure heading to Paris, my aim there will be to better my 44.69 Personal Best. To do this, I'm targeting the final as this is where I'll get good guys who will push me beyond my limits to attain the goal," he told Standard Sports.

Ekwam believes reaching the podium in Paris in his men’s 400m specialty is very possible in his first Olympics outing, and this is already inspired with the 4x400m silver medal he won at the Senior Africa Athletics Championships held in Douala, Cameroon last month.

"The Olympics is the pinnacle of sports for any self-respecting athlete, so I'm hopeful that I'll leave a mark in Paris. Many people have struggled to punch the qualification ticket to no avail. I will be out to prove a point in the Games by striving for impressive results," he said.

After his qualification at the Kip Keino Classic, Ekwam has used a number of events to improve his speed.

The events include the World Relays Championship in Bahamas where he unfortunately got sick on the day of the contest which saw him fail to compete.

He, however, is happy that his body responded well in Douala where he was part of the quartet who won the men’s 4x400m silver.

Just before Paris, Ekwam has two high profile races lined up to gauge his body for the Olympics. He will race in Belgium on July 13 and in Italy four days later.

"Those two events are definitely going to show me where I'm with my ongoing training, posting good results in them will be a very positive indicator for Paris,” he said.

In the next four years he is eager to lower the 200m national record where he is dreaming to run a sub 20s.

"In 400m, I want to be running a world class time, that is below 44s. My intention is to open so many doors that will amaze people," he said.

What should Kenya do to improve on sprints?

"Sprint tracks should be set at the sea level zones, that is Mombasa or any other coast region will be ideal. There should be standard gyms for sprinters spread across the country.

"Sprints tacticians should be sent for benchmarking abroad, preferably Jamaica and USA to improve on their coaching skills," he said.

And who inspired him into athletics?

"One day, I was in our sitting room watching the Rio Olympics in 2016, I was amazed with the way records were being shattered in the tournament that night, that's when I decided to embrace athletics as I promised to be part of the Olympics Games in the near future. I'm happy that the dream has finally come true eight years later," Ekwam said.