Lilian Odira reveals next stop after defending national title
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 24.06.26. | 16:42
She opened her outdoor campaign at the Kip Keino Classic in April, finishing second in the women's 800m in 1:59.15
Lilian Odira has set her sights on the Eugene Diamond League after successfully defending her national title and booking a place in Team Kenya for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The reigning World 800m champion delivered a commanding performance at the Athletics Kenya National Championships held at the Nyayo National Stadium, clocking 2:00.44 to win the women's 800m final.
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The victory secured her third consecutive national title and earned her a ticket to represent Kenya at the Commonwealth Games.
However, Odira revealed that her immediate focus is on the Eugene Diamond League, scheduled for Friday, 3, to Saturday, 4 July, where she hopes to continue building momentum ahead of her Commonwealth Games debut.
"I have been working towards Eugene because from here, I will be heading to the Eugene Diamond League. The nationals were part of my training, and I am very thankful," Odira said after her victory.
The national championships marked another important step in what has been a steady comeback season for the middle-distance star.
Odira opened her outdoor campaign at the Kip Keino Classic in April, finishing second in the women's 800m in 1:59.15.
At the time, she was still recovering from illness and admitted she was far from her best condition.
"My body is responding well. I started my season at the Kip Keino Classic. I was coming off the hospital and was unfit; I was coming to tell my fans that I am still there. I was not fit and fully recovered. But now that my body is responding well to training, we hope for a good season,” she explained.
Her progress became evident in May when she returned to the Diamond League circuit in Rabat, where she produced an impressive run to finish third in a highly competitive field, crossing the line in 1:57.27.
The same month, Odira also used the Kenya Prisons Championships as a key part of her preparations, competing in five events: the 400m, 800m, 1500m, and two relay races.
She went on to win both the 400m and 800m titles, using the competition to sharpen her speed and endurance.
With qualification now secured, Odira and her coaching team will shift their attention towards preparing for the challenge awaiting them in Glasgow, where she expects strong competition from some of the world's best 800m runners.
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"My first aim was to make it to the team, and now we will go work with my coach because the Commonwealth Games have got so many fast athletes, and we will work to see how that turns out. Our goal is to get a medal there, and hopefully, we will make it,” she said.