Omanyala eyes another record in France
African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala trains at Kasarani on January 28. 2022.
What you need to know:
- Nakuru City Half Marathon champion Daniel Simiu is also in Mondeville for the 3,000 metres race.
- The Discovery Kenya Cross Country winner is on a list of 16 runners who include among others, two-time Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase silver medalist Mahiedine Mekhissi.
Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is unperturbed by his opponents who have posted better times than him as he heads to the World Athletics Mondeville Indoor Tour meeting for another 60 metres dash in France on Wednesday.
Omanyala, 26, ran his first ever indoor race during the Miramas Meeting on Friday, winning the semi-final in 6.65 seconds before clinching the crown in 6.63.
Both his times were new Miramas records after he erased Iranian Hassan Taftian’s 6.68 and Paulvince Obuon’s Kenyan record 6.70, which had lasted since January 2021 and January 2005 respectively.
Six of his 16 competitors’ in Mondeville have faster times than him. These are Arthur Cisse from Ivory Coast (6.53), Americans Devin Quinn and Cravant Charleston (both 6.54), Briton Adam Thomas, Frenchman Marvin Rene and Estonian Karl Erik Nazarov (all 6.62).
“I don’t look at times and competitors when I go to compete. My aim is to break the records and times,” the 2021 Kenya Sportsman of the Year told Nation Sport on Monday.
Omanyala, who boasts of being the African record holder in 100 metres (outdoor) after timing 9.77 seconds during last year’s Kip Keino Classic, is competing in 60 metres competitions to improve on his speed as well as his first 50 metres in the 100-metre race.
He is gearing up for the 18th World Athletics Indoor Championships scheduled for March 18-22 in Belgrade, Serbia. The Mondeville Meeting record for 60 metres of 6.51 is held by Spaniard Perez Yunier since February 2013.
Nakuru City Half Marathon champion Daniel Simiu is also in Mondeville for the 3,000 metres race.
The Discovery Kenya Cross Country winner is on a list of 16 runners who include among others, two-time Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase silver medalist Mahiedine Mekhissi.
Entry list for 60m men:
Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya) 6.63 seconds
Arthur Cisse (Ivory Coast) 6.53
Devin Quinn (USA) 6.54
Cravant Charleston (USA) 6.54
Adam Thomas (Great Britain) 6.62
Marvin Rene (France) 6.62
Karl Erik Nazarov (Estonia) 6.62
Charlie Dobson (Great Britain) 6.64
Ancuiam Lopes (Portugal) 6.65
Kayham Ozer (Turkey) 6.67
Ryan Zeze (France) 6.69
Dylan Rigot (France) 6.72
Fabrice Dabla (Togo) 6.75
Jeff Erius (France) 6.72
Innocent Bologo (Burkina Faso) 6.83
Mohammed Badru (France) 6.84
Pablo Mateo (France) 6.83
