Ferdinand Omanyala, Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo Warned Against Promising Too Much Ahead of Major Championships

The world’s top athletes have been advised to be wary of the risk of employing a strategy where they promise a medal or record ahead of a major track event.

Sprinters have been advised against the risk of promising that they will win medals ahead of major championships.

Athletes, especially sprinters, have never shied away from making big promises ahead of either the World Championships or Olympics with some even going as far as making it known that they will win gold.

However, some end up missing out, leaving them distraught and according to Liberia’s American-born sprinter Joseph Fahnbulleh, this is a very risky approach.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

“If you keep on yearning for it, it's going to be hard because it is all you will be thinking about and if you don’t get it, then it is really hard to overcome that mental hurdle,” Fahnbulleh told Pulse Sports.

Reigning Africa 100m and 200m champion Fahnbulleh says some of his colleagues are making a mistake by promising so much which leaves them in a difficult position to achieve it.

“Track and field is more mental than physical. You could be in shape to run 19.00 seconds [in 200m] but if that day your mental is not there, you just cannot do it.”

What Strategy Does Fahnbulleh Think Works Best?

Fahnbulleh says he has embraced a different approach where he focuses on improved performance instead of times and medals, allowing him to run without pressure.

“Execute every race because if you go there to chase a time, you will never come, so you have to execute your race plan. Winning a World Championship medal is always a goal but if you already say it and chase for it, you will never catch it but you will get it if you know you have the confidence for it to come,” he added.

Sprinters such as Noah Lyles, Ferdinand Omanyala and Letsile Tebogo have in recent years been caught up in a place where they are under pressure to deliver after promising too much.

Omanyala was for instance left disappointed in 2023 when he finished seventh in the 100m final at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, having spent the whole season promising to bring a medal from the event and that has led to a change in strategy where the emphasis now is on his performances.

Meanwhile, Lyles was confident of winning a 200m gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics but ended up in third place, although he blamed his woes on a COVID-19 diagnosis.