Lilian Odira / HANDOUTReigning world 800m champion Lilian Odira has set her sights firmly on the Diamond League crown as well as Commonwealth Games and World Ultimate gold in a bold assault on the 2026 season.
After what was an explosive 2025 campaign, the 27-year-old admits the fire is still burning, if anything, even brighter.
Odira announced herself on the global stage in emphatic fashion at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where she powered to her maiden world title in a championship record 1:54.62.
Britain’s Georgia Bell and Keely Hodgkinson chased her home in a blistering finish, clocking 1:54.90 and 1:54.91 respectively.
That dominant run in Tokyo also punched her golden ticket to the inaugural World Ultimate Championships set for September in Budapest, Hungary.
The mother of two has wasted no time laying down her marker for the new campaign, revealing plans to attack the Diamond League circuit with renewed intent.
“This year I want to do more Diamond League races, and the aim is to get to the Diamond League final,” Odira said.
Last season, Odira made just a single appearance on the circuit, lining up at the Silesia meeting where she clocked 1:56.52 to finish second behind Hodgkinson, who won in 1:54.74.
Her ambitions also stretch to a maiden outing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, where she hopes to strike gold and further decorate her growing medal haul.
“I will also be doing the Commonwealth Games trials. If I make the team, I will be chasing a medal,” she added.
Odira’s rising profile is backed by a steadily expanding trophy cabinet, which includes a silver medal from the 2024 African Championships in Douala, Cameroon.
There, she clocked 2:00.36 to finish behind world U20 champion Sarah Moraa, who won in 2:00.27.
However, the crown jewel target this season remains Budapest, where Odira is determined to double down on her world title and emerge as the undisputed women’s 800m force.
“I have also qualified for the World Ultimate Championships, so the target is to chase a medal there,” she noted.
Beyond medals, the middle-distance ace is also hunting faster times, with her sights set on lowering her personal best as she continues to refine her race craft.
“Now that I am a world champion, my target is to lower my PB and feature in more Diamond Leagues,” she said.
Odira revealed she took a brief reset after her Tokyo triumph, stepping off the track until November before launching into her build-up for what promises to be a demanding season.
“I decided to take some rest after Tokyo and started my build-up for this season in November. Now that I will be at the World Ultimate Championships, it will be a long season, and I have to be at my best,” she explained.
The Kenyan star also hinted at a tactical shift in her preparations, one designed to unlock even quicker times on the clock.
“We have a different approach with my coach this year, with the target of a new personal best,” she said.
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