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Omanyala targets Diamond League debut in Brussels
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after finishing third in men's 100m semi-finals Heat 1 during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 1, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Omanyala beat home athletes Samuli Samuelson and Viktor Thor to second and third places in 10.33 and 10.54 respectively in the final
- Omanyala had six days earlier broken his own National Record twice, running 9.96 in the first round followed by 9.86 in the final at the International Josko Lauf Meeting
- Omanyala's manager Marcel Viljoen said his athlete is enjoying a time of his life
Kenya's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala could make his Diamond League debut in Brussels on September 3 in Belgium.
"I am just waiting for confirmation in the coming days. I will be delighted to join the top league," said Omanyala after winning his 100m race at the Motonet Grand Prix at Lahti Stadium in Finland on Thursday in a Stadium record time of 10.09 seconds.
In fact, Omanyala had ran 10.09 in the first heat before returning a similar performance in the final.
It was the first time the Stadium record was being broken in 27 years.
Omanyala beat home athletes Samuli Samuelson and Viktor Thor to second and third places in 10.33 and 10.54 respectively in the final.
"I feel blessed. It all comes dowm to patience, hardwork and discipline. My plan is to get to the top and remain there for as long as it will last," said Omanyala.
Omanyala had six days earlier broken his own National Record twice, running 9.96 in the first round followed by 9.86 in the final at the International Josko Lauf Meeting at Pramtal Stadium, Andorra, Austria.
It was the first time a Kenyan ran sub 10 seconds.
Coming into this season, Omanyala noted that he trained wirh his coach Duncan Ayiemba for six months without competition in 2020.
"We did everything during the six months. And then I added the strength and conditioning aspect with teh Kenya Sevens team. Ayiemba's program came in handy to build me up for this season," said Omanyala, who paid tribute to Ayiemba for his patience in him.
Omanyala's manager Marcel Viljoen said his athlete is enjoying a time of his life.
"He is doing very well. We expected a big time like the one in Austria but it was freezing cold during the final. Running 10.09 in two races was a good effort for safety reason," said Viljoen, adding that his will have another race in Finland if the weather allows. "The weather is getting worse and we are not sure what to expect."
