Eugene Omalla (born 5 October 2000) is a Ugandan-Dutch sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. He holds the African indoor record over 400 metres. From April 2024, he has represented the Netherlands. He won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the mixed 4 x 400 metres relay.[1]
_2024.jpg) Omalla at the Mount SAC Relays in 2024. | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Dutch / Ugandan | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 October 2000 Zoetermeer, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
| Event | Sprints | ||||||||||||||
| College team | Kansas State Wildcats | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | 400m: 46.06 (Commerce, 2023) Indoors 400 m: 45.18 AR (Lubbock , 2024) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editHe has a twin brother, Jaime Omalla, who also competes in athletics. They have an Ugandan father called Timothy Omalla and a Dutch mother Wilmer Omalla . They were born in Zoetermeer and lived in the Netherlands until they were seven years-old when they moved to Uganda. They both study at the Kansas State University in the United States. From 2024, they both run under the Netherlands flag, having both previously represented Uganda.[2]
Career
editHe ran an outdoors personal best of 46.06 seconds for the 400 metres in May 2023.[3] [4] He ran 45.18 seconds indoors to set a new African continental record for the 400 metres at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock.[5][6]
He qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts, to run in the 400 metres and the 4x400m relay, in a team that included his twin brother.[7] He ran a time of 46.37 seconds in the individual event.[8] They finished third in the relay final to win the bronze medal alongside Tavon Underwood and Kyle Gayle.[9]
He ran for the Netherlands for the first time at the 2024 World Relays Championships in Nassau, Bahamas.[10] He competed in the mixed 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning gold with the Dutch team.[11]
Personal bests
editInformation from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[1]
| Event | Time in s | Location | Date | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 metres | 20.64 | 14 July 2024 | La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland | (Wind: +0.7 m/s) | |
| 300 metres | 32.68 | 28 April 2024 | Willemstad, Curaçao | ||
| 400 metres | 45.18 i | 23 February 2024 | Lubbock, Texas, United States | ||
| 400 metres short track | 45.18 i | 23 February 2024 | Lubbock, Texas, United States | AR | Omalla was representing Uganda/Africa at the time. |
Competition results
editInformation from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[1]
| Year | Competition | Location | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | World Athletics Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 12th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:03.02 | (45.69 split) |
| Summer Olympics | Paris, France | 1st | 4 × 400 m mixed | 3:07.43 | AR |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Eugene Omalla". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Sprinters Eugene and Jaime Omalla will now compete for the Netherlands". Runners World. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Sprint twins Omalla will join the Dutch athletics team". Nos.nl. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Sprint twins Omalla will join the Dutch athletics team". nhnieuws.nl. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Omalla twins will join the Dutch sprint team". Atletiek.nl. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "African indoor record holder for 400 meters strengthens Dutch athletics team". nu.nl. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Multiple Wildcats qualify for NCAA indoor championships". The Mercury. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "NCAA Division I Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Men's 4x400 Metres Relay Short Track". World Athletics. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ van Driel, Mark (6 May 2024). "Why sprint twins Omalla competes for the Netherlands: 'You have to choose what helps you most forward'". Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "Mixed 4 x 400 Metres Relay - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
External links
edit
- Eugene Omalla at World Athletics
- Eugene Omalla at Olympics.com
- Eugene Omalla at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
- Eugene Omalla at TeamNL (in Dutch)
- Eugene Omalla at Atletiek.nl (in Dutch)