Impressive Omanyala finishes fourth on Diamond League debut
Fred Kerley of the US (centre) sprints to finish next to Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (left) and South Africa's Akani Simbine during the men's 100 metres event at The Diamond League AG Memorial Van Damme athletics meeting at The King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on September 3, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Omanyala clocked 10.02 seconds, losing the race to Americans, who swept the first three places in sub 10 seconds with Tokyo Olympics 100m silver medallist Fred Kerley calling the shots in 9.94
- Obiri, who passed Niyonsaba to lead at the bell and to home straight, sank to third 14:26.23 just behind Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye in 14:25.63
- Olympic 800m silver medallist, Ferguson Rotich was the only Kenyan winner on the evening but the men’s race didn’t count for the Diamond League points
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala took down some big names on his way to finishing fourth on his debut at the Diamond League in Brussels on Friday evening.
And in women’s 5,000m, Burundian Francine Niyonsaba continued to destabilise the world order in the long distance event upon transition from 800m when she stunned two-time World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri from Kenya to triumph.
Omanyala clocked 10.02 seconds, losing the race to Americans, who swept the first three places in sub 10 seconds with Tokyo Olympics 100m silver medallist Fred Kerley calling the shots in 9.94.
Trayvon Bromell, world leader with 9.77, and Michael Norman timed 9.97 and 9.98 respectively to settle second and third respectively as Omanyala beat among others South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who finished fourth in 100m at Tokyo Olympics.
Fresh from winning two Miler at Prefontaine Classic and the 3,000m in Paris, Niyonsaba, who seemed to be fading with 250m to go, burst alive at home straight, downing four other athletes one after the other to win in a National Record and personal best 14:25.34.
Obiri, who passed Niyonsaba to lead at the bell and to home straight, sank to third 14:26.23 just behind Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye in 14:25.63.
World 5,000m silver medallist, Margaret Chelimo (14:27.12), Lilian Kasait (14:30.32) and Eva Cherono (14:30.77) all from Kenya came in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively all in personal best times.
Mary Moraa was still in contention with 250m to go in the women's 800m but the athlete who was making her debut faded to eighth in 1:59.79 in a race won by Jamaican Natoya Goule in 1:58.09.
Then Olympic 10,000m and 5,000m champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands broke Kenya’s Faith Chepng’etich’s six-year-old One Mile meeting record with a new time of 4:14.74.
Chepng’etich set the meeting record time of 4:16.74 in 2015.
Hassan had attempted to break her own World Record time of 4:12:33 set in 2019 in Monaco.
Axumawit Embaye from Ethiopia came in second far behind in season best 4:21.08 while a third placing of 4:21.38 proved huge for Linden Hall from Australia as the time was enough for a new Asian record and personal best.
Olympic 800m silver medallist, Ferguson Rotich was the only Kenyan winner on the evening but the men’s race didn’t count for the Diamond League points.
Rotich won in 1:43.81 with compatriots Cornelius Tuwei clocking 1:45.29 for third and Collins Kipruto finishing sixth in 1:46.56.
“I am happy with the race. It wasn't easy to maintain the form after the Olympics but to be able to participate in the Diamond League kept me motivated. I just wanted to win with 1:43, and I did exactly that,” said Rotich, who has already qualified for the Diamond League final in Zurich.
