Adding His Name to the List

By: D. Scott Fritchen

As Eugene Omalla settled into that old familiar stance on the blocks, the spot where he began Round 1 less than a day ago, the native of Zoetermeer, Netherlands, put behind him the cheers from 80,000 at Stade de France, as small droplets of sweat from humid nighttime air in Paris mixed with the anticipation of serving as leadoff man for the 4x400 Mixed Relay Finals at the 2024 Paris Games. It was without a doubt the most important race in the life of a 23-year-old who just months before felt the track of sweet opportunity beneath his feet while training under legendary track coach Cliff Rovelto at his beloved Kansas State.

A spot in the Olympics was without a doubt a blessing for the 23-year-old who overcame a strained Achilles tendon following the NCAA Championships, fought and fought and fought for three weeks, but days prior didn't know if he'd even race in The Games. Then, three days before Round 1 of competition, Netherlands' coach said, "You're the man for the job for that first leg."

"For me, this has a lot to do with my faith," Omalla says. "It's me being able to meditate and really understand, accept and see the moment of me being picked. I did that. After I got the news, it took some moments to realize what truly had happened. Then I prayed over it and accepted it that God put me at this position, and I'm going to prove why I'm here."

Omalla, whose family moved to Uganda when he and twin brother Jaimie were seven years old, set a K-State indoor, Big 12 Championship record, and African continental record with a time of 45.18 seconds in the indoor 400 meters on February 23. In May, he ran an outdoor personal best of 46.06. In the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts, he ran a time of 46.37 seconds in the 400 meters.

And here he was, storming out of stance, under the brightest lights of his life in Paris, the first hint of rain pelting him and the track, and he felt himself push a little too hard, the excitement raising that energy level to unprecedented heights, an uncommon restless night, a routine omelet and sourdough bread breakfast long digested, an appetite for history within his grasp, as his legs pumped with the baton — a spot he could barely envision after straining his Achillies tendon after the NCAA Championships.

"I was told just a couple days before the race," Omalla says. "You can imagine, you're still kind of processing that as you get into the race that just three days ago, I was told I was going to run. Three days. It was really last minute."

It appeared Team USA was pulling away from the pack by the time Omalla, the leadoff, passed the baton to his Netherlands teammate. Moments later, Omalla stood, watched and waited and witnessed one of the most dramatic finishes of 2024 Paris, as Netherlands' anchor, Femke Bol, amid pouring rain, passed Belgium, Great Britain and the United States, finally surging ahead of USA's Kaylyn Brown with about 10 meters remaining. Bol's mind-boggling final leg of 47.93 seconds was more than a second faster than Brown's time of 49.14 seconds.

With Bol's strong final leg, the Netherlands overtook the United States to capture gold with a time of 3:07.43, a mark that finished 0.31 ahead of the United States, which won bronze in the event in Tokyo 2020. The Dutch's final time of 3:07.43 was two-hundredths of a second short of tying the Olympic and World Record at 3:07.41.

It was the first time the Netherlands captured gold in this event.

"It really felt like it was slow motion," Omalla says. "It's crazy. In the moment, it's only 3:07, but it feels like a lifetime watching it. There were a lot of emotions in that — extreme joy, mixed with disbelief. Couldn't fathom it. I'd become an Olympic gold medalist."

It was Omalla who reached Bol first after the finish line and gave her a strong, quick embrace before both were mobbed by their teammates. Omalla has not seen his parents in three years, but Olympic personnel allowed him to celebrate with his parents from Uganda on a large video screen on the track. Emotions were thick — "a couple tears," Omalla says — as Omalla recalled how his mother placed a blessing over he and his brother long, long ago. Omalla wears the Bible verse Isaiah 40:31 on his left arm, which reads: "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Omalla pauses upon reciting the verse.

"This is how," he says, "I've gotten to where I am today."

And exactly where is Omalla these days?

Well, he recently traveled to the Royal Palace Amsterdam and visited King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima — the king and queen of the Netherlands — and every day over the past couple of weeks has featured a ceremony, a celebration, or an interview.

Someday, he plans to visit the K-State indoor track and field facility again. He earned the 10th medal in K-State history and the fourth goal medal, joining Erik Kynard (2012), Kenny Harrison (1996) and Thane Baker (1956),

"It's a huge honor. I'll never forget it," Omalla says. "I came to K-State in December and the first time the indoor track opened they had this list of all the Olympians and all the gold medalists. I looked at it and I remember thinking, 'I want to be on that list one day.'"

He pauses.

"It makes me really emotional thinking about it," he continues. "It's been a crazy few months that couldn't have been completed without the amazing coaching staff, the amazing nutritionist, the amazing sports psychologist, the amazing physical therapist, and the amazing trainers. I will always point to those people. They helped get me to where I am today."

It's a story he'll never forget.

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Eugene Omalla

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