Mental strength will be key for success at Paris Games, says Wiseman Were

It is now 24 days for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the clock is ticking first and the reality is sinking in.

For the Kenyan 400m hurdler Wiseman Were triumphing at the Games will need a psychological steadiness as he looks to make a maiden appearance after more than six years of work and resilience to finally make the cut.

Were, 26, says mental toughness will aid him and other Kenyan athletes in their quest for glory in the French capital, noting that one can easily fail to spur due to lack of psychological alertness.

“The psychological part of it is very important. As an athlete, you can be good and energetic and with the correct speed but you do not end up running your race. You can easily be destructed if you focus so much on the opponents that is how you lose it. In some instances, it is not that the athlete is not good enough but it just starts in the mind. You win in the mind then you win the race,” Were told People Sport.

The 2022 African Athletics Championships bronze medalist is heading to Paris Olympics full of optimism of giving a good show but first, his major goal is to do well in the two heats as he seeks a final berth.

“Winning a bronze medal at the African Championships is a great motivation because as I go to Paris, that medal (bronze) gives you a face as a strong competitor and not just like any other athlete. I know when we all get there we will push each other to register desired times as I endeavor to stage a good challenge to the opponents. First thing is to go there in good health. Secondly is to do well in the first and the second heat and that is usually the challenge and if I plan myself well then it will be easier to sail to the final.”

The former St Peters Mumias student who teamed up with Boniface Mweresa, Mike Mokamba and William Rayian to grab a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham has says it is possible for him and the other sprinters to stage a surprise performance and he has also tabled his request to the Kenyan fans during the Olympics.

“People should expect surprises because I think where people have no hope or focus at all it is where something good can come from. I know Kenyans have different mentalities and opinions about different athletes but I would like to urge them to have a positive mind and give us a positive energy.”