Zablon Ekwam urged fans to be patient as he builds his career, emphasizing that success takes time and experience like that of established 400m runners Quincy Hall and Matthew Hudson-Smith.
Zablon Ekwam has urged fans to be patient with him as he cited the success of some 400m runners, including Olympic 400m champion Quincy Hall and silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith.
The Kenyan 400m sensation made his Olympic debut at the Paris Olympic Games but did not finish his heat after pulling up with a hamstring issue as he approached the finish line. He has no regrets failing to impress on his debut despite raising the hopes of many Kenyans.
In an exclusive interview with Pulse Sports Kenya, Zablon Ekwam says he is just getting started and he should not be expected to perform like seasoned runners.
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Matthew Hudson-Smith for instance has been in the game for quite some time and the Paris Olympic Games were not his first. He made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where he finished distant eighth in the men’s 400m final.
Quincy Hall made his debut at the Paris Olympic Games but was in action at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where he claimed the bronze medal in the men’s 400m final. Racing against such top competitors gave Zablon Ekwam a ton of experience but he pointed out that fans should not be full of expectations at the moment.
“At the Olympics, I know many people wanted to see how I would perform but I got an injury. People should not expect me to perform like Quincy Hall or Matthew Hudson-Smith at the moment because those people have been running for years and have just started winning now. My fans should take it easy on me and wait patiently for what is to come,” Zablon Ekwam said.
He expressed pride to have made the Olympics team and noted that it was a dream come true for him to break barriers and race against a quality field. Ekwam says he is still learning despite having competed at the World Relays, World Indoor Championships, World Championships and the Olympic Games.
Before capping off his season after the Olympic Games, Ekwam raced at the World Athletics Indoor Championships where Kenya finished fourth in the men’s 4x400m relay in an African record time. He qualified for the World Athletics Relays but did not compete after falling ill.
Ekwam then finished fourth at the Kip Keino Classic, where he clocked 44.69 seconds, to qualify for the Olympic Games. He raced at the Kenyan Championships before the Kenyan Olympic trials and later went on to compete at the African Athletics Championships in the mixed 4x400m relay.
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Ekwam then finished second at the Moore-Guldensporenmeeting before rounding up his season at the Olympics.