| Eugene Omalla | |
| Nationality: | Dutch / Ugandan |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | Sprints |
| Birth Date: | 5 October 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Zoetermeer, Netherlands |
| Collegeteam: | Kansas State Wildcats |
| Pb: | 400m: 46.06 (Commerce, 2023) Indoors 400 m: 45.18 (Lubbock, 2024) |
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]
He 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]
He 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]
Information from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.
| Event | Time in | 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 | 23 February 2024 | Lubbock, Texas, United States | |||
| 400 metres short track | 45.18 | 23 February 2024 | Lubbock, Texas, United States | Omalla was representing Uganda/Africa at the time. |
Information from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.
| 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 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | 4 × 400 m mixed | 3:07.43 |