No room for complacency: Mumo challenges Kenyan athletes to rise to LA 2028 demands

George Mutinda, David Sanayek, Moses Masika and Kevin Kipkorir in a past race/HANDOUTKenya Defence Forces (KDF) sprints coach Vincent Mumo is concerned about the tough entry standards set for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Mumo has subsequently called for early preparations and the establishment of training camps to ensure Kenyan athletes are well equipped to meet the demanding qualifying marks.

On Tuesday afternoon, World Athletics released the athletics entry standards for the LA 2028 Games, sparking debate within the athletics fraternity over the significantly tougher times and marks compared to those set for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

For the 100m, the qualifying standards are 9.93 seconds for men and 10.96 for women, considerably faster than the 10.00 and 11.07 set for Paris 2024.

The 200m standards are also tight, with athletes required to clock 19.95 seconds in the men’s race and 22.25 in the women’s event, compared to 20.16 and 22.27 respectively in 2024.

In the 400m, the men’s qualifying time is 44.40 seconds, while women must run 49.90 seconds, compared to previous standards of 45.00 and 50.95.

The hurdles events have not been spared either, with the men’s 110m hurdles standard set at 13.18 seconds, down from 13.27, while women will have to clock 12.58 in the 100m hurdles compared to 12.77 in Paris. In the 400m hurdles, men must run 48.00 seconds and women 54.00, improving on the previous qualifying marks of 48.70 and 54.84, respectively.

Mumo singled out the demanding sprint standards, warning that athletes will have to raise their performance levels significantly to secure tickets to the global showpiece. “The standards for LA are way too high for athletes. They are very tough times to meet,” Mumo told The Star.

The tactician, however, noted that the challenge extends beyond the sprint events, with middle and long-distance athletes also facing demanding qualifying marks. “It’s not only sprint events. Middle- and long-distance times have been set very high, too. Like the 800m, they have some really challenging times,” he added.

In the two-lap 800m race, men must clock 1:43.00, while women must achieve 1:57.00, compared to 1:44.70 and 1:59.30, respectively, for Paris 2024.

The 5,000m has also seen a significant tightening of the qualifying standards, with men required to run 12:50.00 and women 14:34.00, against the previous marks of 13:05.00 and 14:52.00.

The marathon standards have equally been raised, with men required to run 2:05:00 and women 2:22:20, considerably faster than the 2:08:10 and 2:26:50 set for the Paris Games.

Mumo believes advancement in technology, evolving training methods and the increasingly fast times being registered across the globe have influenced World Athletics’ decision to raise the qualifying bar. “Technology has really advanced, which has led to the advancement in training programmes. We are now seeing very fast times being run globally,” he said.

With the road to Los Angeles taking shape, Mumo has urged the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) to put early preparations in motion, particularly by organising training camps to give athletes ample time to sharpen their form and chase the demanding marks. “NOCK should ensure they organise training camps very early so that our athletes can start sharpening their skills.”

“For our athletes, they need to be at their very best if we are to send a large delegation to LA,” he added.

He also identified the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, as a crucial stepping stone for Kenyan track and field stars to gauge their form and pursue the qualifying standards against the world’s best.

“Beijing 2027 will be very crucial for all our athletes. This will be the platform where they can target those tough entry marks against some of the world’s top athletes,” he said.

Mumo, who also heads Ultimate Sprints Club, which boasts veteran sprinter Millicent Ndoro, national 400m hurdles champion Kipkorir Rotich and 100m specialist Moses Wasike, said he is working with his athletes to develop specialised training programmes tailored towards the LA 2028 qualifying demands.

“We have already started our build-up for next season. With the entry standards for LA 2028 now released, we will sit down as a club and work on a specialised training programme to prepare to meet the set marks,” he noted.

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