History-making Ferdinand Omanyala finishes third in Diamond League finale
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala crosses the finish line in the men's 100m heats during the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on August 19, 2023.
What you need to know:
- It was a good end to the season for Omanyala, who had finished seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
- Omanyala, who had made history as the first Kenyan sprinter to win a Diamond League race in 100m with victory in Monaco, also became the first Kenyan sprinter in 100m to feature in the Diamond League and World Championships final.
Commonwealth Games 100metres champion Ferdinand Omanyala ended his season with an incredible third place finish in the final of the Diamond League at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday Oregon, the United States of America.
Omanyala, the Africa champion and record holder, went toe-to-toe with 2019 world 100m champion Christian Coleman from the blocks but it's the American who won in a world lead time of 9.83 seconds.
World 200m and 200m champion Noah Lyles spoiled the party for Omanyala, beating the Kenyan on the line for second place with both athletes returning identical 9.85.
Following a false start saw Jamaica's Ackeem Blake disqualified, Coleman got off to a brilliant start and powered through the first 50 metres before holding off the charging Lyles and Omanyala.
It was a good end to the season for Omanyala, who had finished seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Omanyala, who had made history as the first Kenyan sprinter to win a Diamond League race in 100m with victory in Monaco, also became the first Kenyan sprinter in 100m to feature in the Diamond League and World Championships final.
Meanwhile, national and Kenya Defence Forces champion Simon Koech won the 3,000m steeplechase Diamond League Trophy at the Prefontaine Classic, on his second appearance in the Diamond League.
It was a glorious end to the season for Koech, who finished seventh in the final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, as he clocked 8:06.26 to triumph for his second victory in the Diamond League after Monaco on July 21.
It's is in Monaco where he clocked his personal best of 8:04.19.
Koech, the 2021 world under-20 bronze medallist, edged out Samuel Firewu to second place in 8: 10.74 as George Beamish from New Zealand timed 8:14.01 for third place.
World bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwott (8:16.27), Olympic bronze medallist Benjamin Kigen (8:16.50) and 2021 World Under-20 champion Amos Serem (8:17.99) all from Kenya settled sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
Koech pocketed US$ 30,000 (Sh4.41 million) while Omanyala earned US$7,000( Sh1.029 million)
