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Omanyala: I want to run 9.60 seconds at World Championships
What you need to know:
- Omanyala said that his only goal when he landed in Mauritius was to win the Africa title after having set a new African record at the Kip Kieno Classic last year with a time of 9.85 seconds.
- “No African has ever won a medal at the World Championships but it can be achieved now,” said Omanyala, who turned his focus to the World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games trials from June 24 to 25 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Africa 100metres champion Ferdinand Omanyala will be hoping to write history at the World Athletics Championships due July 15 to 24 in Oregon, United States.
Omanyala wants to become the first African to medal in 100m at the world event after he became the second Kenyan to win the African 100m title, and anchoring the 4x100m team to a historic victory at the just concluded Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Reduit, Mauritius.
“I was the fastest man in Africa and I have just realised my dream of being the Africa champion,” Omanyala said.
African 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala (centre) takes a selfie with fans at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on June 13, 2022 after Team Kenya arrived from Mauritius where they took part in the Africa Senior Athletics Championships.
“Expect nothing short of a medal in Oregon.”
Omanyala said perhaps he will still have the world lead time heading into Oregon, which he notes will be good pressure for him.
“I am an athlete who thrives under pressure and I am eying to run 9.60 seconds in Oregon,” said Omanyala, who currently has a world lead time of 9.85 seconds achieved when winning at the Kip Keino Classic on May 7.
Jamaican Usain Bolt holds the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
“It will be summer in Oregon hence warm weather is good for sprints,” said Omanyala, who will be eying to once again wrestle the Commonwealth games 100m title from Akani Simbine from South Africa.
African 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala (centre) joins Utamaduni Ngomas dancers for a jig at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on June 13, 2022 after Team Kenya arrived from Mauritius where they took part in the Africa Senior Athletics Championships.
The Commonwealth Games are programmed from July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England.
“Let Simbine be ready to relinquish that title to me God willing,” said Omanyala on arrival from the African event that ended on Sunday in Mauritius.
Omanyala said that his only goal when he landed in Mauritius was to win the Africa title after having set a new African record at the Kip Kieno Classic last year with a time of 9.85seconds.
“No African has ever won a medal at the World Championships but it can be achieved now,” said Omanyala, who turned his focus to the World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games trials from June 24 to 25 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
