Being a champion in Africa is prestigious but earning an Olympic medal leaves behind a mark that cannot be achieved by many.
Two-time Africa high jump champion Mathew Sawe is hopeful that his dominance in Africa can now be recognised globally as he prepares to take on the rest of the world in Tokyo.
The former 800m runner switched to the field event and has never regretted the move.
The 33-year-old will be in Tokyo to try and improve on his personal mark of 2.30 metres which is also the current Kenya national record.
“I am really excited to be competing at the Olympics. My aim is to break the Kenyan record and also try and make it to the finals,” he says.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) athlete sealed his spot to the Tokyo Olympic Games through the world rankings on June 29 where he ranked 24th by the close of the qualification window.
Sawe said he is keen to leave a mark at the largest and prestigious sporting event despite being out of competitive action for a long spell.
“I am working hard to see that I am in the best shape. As you know, Covid-19 scattered most of the sporting activities but I hope we will get where we were before in terms of fitness,” added Sawe. Sawe also said that he is keen to make amends from his performance at the 2019 World Championships where he was battling with an injury.
The high jumper and Olympic javelin silver medallist Julius Yego are the only field events athletes in Team Kenya.