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Omanyala opens global season with third-place finish in South Africa

Ferdinand Omanyala

Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya celebrates after winning heat 2 in the 100m Men Round 1 at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  on August 03, 2024

Photo credit: Joan Preruan | Nation Media Group

By  Bernard Rotich

Reporter

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

  • Omanyala, the African record holder with a personal best of 9.77 set at the Kip Keino Classic on September 18, 2021, in Nairobi, has set his sights on the World Athletics Relay Championships in Guangzhou, China, in May.

Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya kicked off his international season with a third-place finish at the ASA Grand Prix 1 in South Africa on Wednesday evening.

Competing in the 100m race, Omanyala crossed the finish line in 10.22 seconds, trailing South Africa’s Karabo Letebele, who won in 10.19, and Emile Erasmus, who secured second place with the same time of 10.19. Another Kenyan, Mark Otieno, finished fourth in 10.39 seconds.

Omanyala, the African record holder with a personal best of 9.77 set at the Kip Keino Classic on September 18, 2021, in Nairobi, has set his sights on the World Athletics Relay Championships in Guangzhou, China, in May.

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After a strong showing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where he reached the semifinals, Omanyala ended the season on a high note with a victory at the Memorial Vandamme meet on September 14. His 9.79 seconds sprint at the National Trials for the Olympics in Nairobi last year was a world-leading time.

Meanwhile, Otieno is determined to secure qualification for the World Athletics Championships after narrowly missing out on a spot at the Paris Olympics.

Omanyala is currently ranked ninth on the all-time 100m list, with Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt holding the world record of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009 in Berlin, Germany.

As the qualification journey for the 2025 World Athletics Championships gains momentum, Omanyala and other top athletes will continue competing in World Athletics Continental Tour events and the Diamond League, chasing the qualification standard of 10.00 seconds for men and 11.07 seconds for women in the 100m category.