Kayhan Özer, a national athlete, expressed his ambition to reach the final and become the "first Turkish athlete" to do so in the 60-meter event at the upcoming World Indoor Athletics Championships in Scotland.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Özer highlighted his goals for the year, stating that 2024 would be intense, and they would do everything to succeed.
Özer, who will compete at the World Indoor Athletics Championships starting on Friday in Scotland, said: "I want to make it to the final in the 60 meters and become the first Turkish athlete to do so. I aim to represent my country in the best way possible by finishing in the top five. I have the potential to achieve this."
Emphasizing his desire to shine in major competitions, Özer added: "I want to break the Turkish record of 6.55 seconds set by Turkish Jamaican athlete Emre Zafer Barnes in the 60 meters at the World Indoor Championships. Doing well in big races can propel your career to greater heights."
Recalling his participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games only in the 4x100 relay team, Özer described the challenging experience as a significant learning opportunity.
Özer emphasized his desire to represent Türkiye in both the 100 meters and the 4x100 relay team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, saying: "If I qualify for both categories at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it will be a bit more challenging for me. I want to succeed in both categories. I am currently within the ranking system. I want to elevate and maintain this ranking to compete in Paris."
Özer highlighted that while everyone can run, very few can run fast, which is why he chose this sport.
"The athlete who becomes the world champion in the 100 meters earns the title of the fastest person on Earth. This is truly fascinating. When I was in elementary school, our physical education teacher used to make us race 50 meters, and I would always outpace everyone. I loved running and was fast. That's how my short-distance running journey began. I am among the top 100 fastest people among 7 billion. The first 10 seconds might seem short to others, but for us, it's very different. It's very stressful for us. You need to be able to manage this stress. The 100 meters is a race for flawless athletes. You need to be flawless; otherwise, you can't run fast," he said.
