Battle royale as Omanyala, Tebogo face off at Kip Keino Classic

Will Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala’s 100 metres Africa record go down at the Kip Keino Classic this year?

That is the question with Omanyala, the Africa and Commonwealth Games 100m champion, and world 100m silver medallist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana set to clash at the Kip Keino Classic on April 20 in Nairobi.

Tebogo, the world under-20 100m and 200m record holder, is among top elites to confirm participation in the fifth edition of the Kip Keino Classic that will be staged for the second time at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Omanyala will be seeking to defend his 100m title for the second time at the Kip Keino Classic but it’s not known whether he will give the 200m a shot.

Even though 20-year-old Tebogo will be participating at the Kip Keino Classic for the first time, it will not be the first time Tebogo is visiting the country.

Tebogo, who is already being touted as the next Usain Bolt, competed in the country for the first time during the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships where he won the 100m before claiming silver in 200m.

The Nairobi event basically launched Tebogo’s international career and it’s no wonder the youngster went on to retain his world under-20 100m title besides donning the 200m crown in Cali, Colombia in 2022.

Not only did Tebogo win the 100m title in a Championship Record but also in world under-20 world record of 9.91 seconds.

Kip Keino Classic, the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Tour, could benefit immensely after the High Court in Gaborone stopped the Botswana Golden Grand Prix that was scheduled for April 14 at the National Stadium, Gaborone.

The World Athletics had terminated their contract with Golden Door Sports Agency and gave the rights to Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) but Golden Door Sports Agency sought legal redress over the change.

“We are pleased to announce that Tebogo will grace this year’s Kip Keino Classic. We welcome his back to Kenya since this is where he launched his international career,“ said the Kip Keino Classic race director, Barnaba Korir.

Tebogo will double up in 100m and 200m at the Kip Keino Classic that will be staged at the iconic 30,000 seater that hosted the inaugural edition in 2020.

Tebogo has competed in three races this year with his latest coming at the Athletics South Africa Athletics Grand Prix III/World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger on Wednesday night at the University of Johannesburg.

Tebogo beat home athlete Akani Simbine to second place, winning the 200m final in 19.94 against 20.32.

It’s Omanyala, who finished second in 9.77 at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic to shatter Simbine’s 100m Africa record of 9.84 seconds that he had set at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix the same year.

It placed Omanyala as the eighth fastest man in the history of the 100m where Jamaican Usain Bolt currently tops in a 9.58, a world record set when winning the world title in Beijing, China in 2009.

American Trayvon Bromell won the race in personal best 9.76.

It will be the second time Omanyala is facing Tebogo since the 100m final at the world championships in Budapest, Hungary last year.

Omanyala settled seventh in 10.07 as Tebogo snatched silver in personal best and National Record time of 9.88. American Noah Lyles won in a world lead time of 9.83 as Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes went for bronze 9.88.

Omanyala went on to claim third place as Tebogo settled eighth at Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League final, in Oregon, USA.

Besides Tebogo, Omanyala will face Ivorian Arthur Cisse, who has since joined his training regime in Nairobi, the 2020 Olympic and world 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek and compatriot Mark Otieno.

Omanyala retained the title last year in 9.84, having won it in 2022 in 9.85.