Kenya’s rising sprint star Mercy Oketch made a winning start to her Diamond League career in Brussels, but the 400m specialist admits she is not completely satisfied despite her victory.
In her debut appearance, Oketch stormed to victory in the women’s 400m invitational race, clocking 51.26 seconds. She narrowly edged out Belgian sprinter Imke Vervaet, who finished in 51.27, while Helena Ponette came third in 52.45. Despite securing the win, Oketch was quick to point out that the time was slower than she had hoped for.
Speaking after the race, the 22-year-old explained that she had set her sights on a faster performance. “No, I am not completely happy with this time, but I did the best I could. This is my first Diamond League race ever, and I really enjoyed it,” she said. Oketch also noted that racing in front of a packed stadium was a special experience, adding that her focus has already shifted to the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, where she intends to make a bigger statement.
The Brussels victory adds to an impressive season for the Kenyan sprinter, who has been steadily rising in the 400m ranks. She opened her campaign at the Sprints Build-up and World Relays trials before featuring in both the women’s 4x400m relay and mixed relay at the World Athletics Relays. Her breakthrough moment came at the Kip Keino Classic, where she smashed the national record and established herself as the country’s premier one-lap runner.
Oketch has since dominated at the Kenya Defence Forces Track and Field Championships and claimed victory at the National Championships, further underlining her consistency. On the European circuit, she has competed in Marseille, Madrid, and the Czesław Cybulski Memorial, producing podium finishes that built her confidence ahead of Brussels. She also represented Kenya at the Gyulai István Memorial in Hungary and rounded off the podium at the Internationales Nordthüringer Leichtathletikmeeting in Germany.
With her ticket to the World Championships already secured, Oketch is keen to use the experience from Brussels as motivation. She believes she can go faster in Tokyo and is determined to prove that her rapid rise is no fluke. For her, winning is important but achieving the times she has been working towards will bring the real satisfaction.
