NAIROBI, Kenya, March 20, 2026 – Kenyan sprinter Mercy Oketch hopes to make an indelible mark at the ongoing World Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pormoze, Poland.
The 23-year-old, who is making her bow in the competition, is hoping to return home all smiles courtesy of a good outing.
“I am still hoping for the best. It is my first time in this kind of competition and I am still learning…learning to get more experience,” Oketch said.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) athlete strolled into the semi-finals of the women’s 400m after finishing second in Heat 6 on Friday afternoon.
Oketch clocked 51.57, behind Czech Republic’s Lurdes Gloria, who cut the tape in 51.08.
Home girl Justyna Swiety-Ersetic narrowly missed out on qualification after timing 52.15 in third place.
Oketch is competing in her third major international event for Kenya after last year’s World Relays in Guangzhou, China as well as the World Championships in Tokyo.
She was part of the 4x400m relay team that finished fourth at the World Relays before reaching the semis in Tokyo, four months later.
The youngster has made the podium in all the competitions she has participated in 2026, including the Leichtathletik International Meeting (1st), World Indoor Tour Madrid (3rd) and the Metz Indoor Meeting (1st).