Ferdinand Omanyala: I will be the next world champion
Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya celebrates winning in the Men's 100m event during the Wanda Diamond League "Herculis" athletics meeting at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco, on July 21, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Koech edged out Kibiwott to second place in 8:09.54 as Ethiopian Abrham Sime from Ethiopia timed a personal best of 8:10.56 for third place.
- Kinyamal won in a world lead time of 1:43.22 to edge out Simane Moula of Algeria to second place in 1:43.40 as Canadian Marco Arop came third in 1:43.51.
“I will be the next world champion!”
That was the bold statement by Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala after making history in Monaco on Friday when he became the first Kenyan to win a 100m race in the Diamond League.
“There are no doubts about it. I am ready to do it and tonight, I just confirmed what I am capable of,” said Omanyala, who was forced to dig deep before beating the world under-20 champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana in a thrilling finish.
Omanyala, the Commonwealth and Africa 100m champion, clocked 9.92 seconds, beating Tebogo, the world junior 100m record holder, to second place in season best 9.93.
“I would not call it a perfect race but I am ready. It was a blessing to win here. I wanted a faster time but a win is a win," said Omanyala, before admitting that he had a slow start. “We need to make sure we will correct that.”
Omanyala had finished second in Florence and Paris respectively.
Omanyala made history as the only other Kenyan sprinter to have won a Diamond league race after the late Nicholas Bett, who triumphed in 400m hurdles in 2016 Paris.
After Monaco, Omanyala will compete at the Josko Lauf Meeting on July 29 in Austria before pitching camp in Miramas, France
Omanyala will then head to the World Athletics Championships scheduled for August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary before Diamond league Finals on September 15 in Oregon, United States of America.
Earlier, the national and Kenya Defence Forces champion Simon Koech announced his entry to the big stage when he won the 3,000m steeplechase race on his debut in the Diamond League.
Also, Commonwealth Games 800m Wycliffe Kinyamal put behind the disappointment of failing to make Team Kenya for the World Championships, when he handed compatriot Emmanuel Wanyonyi his first defeat of the season in 800m.
The 20-year-old Koech, who also won the national trials for the world championships, obliterated the field that included the Commonwealth Games champion Abraham Kibiwott, to win in a personal best of eight minutes and 04.19 seconds.
Koech edged out Kibiwott to second place in 8:09.54 as Ethiopian Abrham Sime from Ethiopia timed a personal best of 8:10.56 for third place.
Kinyamal won in a world lead time of 1:43.22 to edge out Simane Moula of Algeria to second place in 1:43.40 as Canadian Marco Arop came third in 1:43.51.
Wanyonyi, the winner in Rabat and Paris, finished sixth in 1:44.35.
