Where is a wise man after making his Olympic debut in Paris?

The 2022 African 400m hurdles bronze medallist, Wiseman Were, believes that his experience at the Paris Olympics will be crucial in securing a spot at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships.

Were’s Olympic journey came to an end in the semifinals, where he clocked 49.22 seconds and finished fifth in his heat, missing out on the two automatic slots for the final.

“I pushed myself to reach the semifinals and learned a lot about self-belief, perseverance, and the importance of having a strong mindset in global competitions,” Were reflected.

The 26-year-old also emphasized that improving his time would be key to competing against the world’s top hurdlers.

“Now I know the times I need to achieve to compete with the very best athletes in the world,” he added.

At the Paris Olympics, USA’s Rai Benjamin won gold with a time of 46.46 seconds, followed by Norway’s Karsten Warholm (47.06) and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos (47.26), who completed the podium.

However, Were acknowledges that there is still much work to be done before the Tokyo World Championships.

“There’s still a lot of work to do, but I’m confident that the experience I gained in Paris will help me as I prepare to meet the qualification for the World Championships,” Were remarked.

The qualifying mark for the 400m hurdles at the World Championships is 48.50 seconds, with the qualification period running from August 1-24.

In Paris, Were narrowly missed the qualification by just eight milliseconds, clocking 48.58 seconds in the heats for fifth place.

Reflecting on his Olympic debut, Were emphasized the significance of global competitions in developing his skills as a hurdler.

“Paris was an incredible experience, especially since it was my first Olympic Games. As a hurdler, I needed this exposure to elevate my performance,” he said.

Now, his focus shifts to recovery and preparation for Tokyo 2025. “It’s time to rest and spend time with family. After that, it’s back to training, improving my speed, and hitting the qualification mark,” Were concluded.