Mark Otieno reveals how Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin & Co motivated his return

Mark Otieno has opened up about how Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and other sprinters motivated him to bounce back after serving his doping ban.

Gay and Gatlin have both been banned for doping before and they successfully bounced back and continued with their impressive runs, something that motivated Otieno to also come back to competitive running and hopefully make an impact.

Gay was suspended for one year after testing positive in 2013 for a banned anabolic steroid. He was forced to return the silver medal he won with the American 4x100m relay team at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

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Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion, was banned for two years in 2001 after testing positive for amphetamines. His ban was later reduced to one year after an appeal. In 2006, he was banned for four years after testing positive for testosterone. Another top athlete to have been banned is Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala who was suspended for 14 months after testing positive for the prohibited substance betamethasone.

Speaking to Otieno explained that having watched these athletes come back stronger, he knew he could also return to competitive running once he finished serving his ban.

“Bouncing back after serving a doping ban is never the easiest thing to do but I believed in myself and abilities. I also got motivation from the likes of Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and other sprinters who had been suspended and they managed to come back and continue their winning ways. I was sure about having a great comeback and I’m just taking a day at a time,” said the Kenyan sprinter.

Mark Otieno has narrated how he felt after missing the Paris Olympics and managing to bounce back to focus on next year's World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

The 31-year-old ended his suspension mid last year but raced sparingly until the end of the season. This year, he made the cut to his first national team after serving his ban, representing the country at the World Athletics Relays and the Africa Senior Athletics Championships.

He missed the opportunity to represent the country at the Paris Olympic Games but has promised to bounce back better next season as he eyes the LA 2028 Olympic Games too.