Omanyala stuns Olympic champion Jacobs, sets another record
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala competes during the men's 60 m race during the Elite Indoor Meeting at the Stadium Miramas Metropole, in Miramas, southern France, on February 3, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Omanyala, the Africa 100m champion, dug deep to go in front midway before winning in 6.54 seconds, beating his previous national record by 0.1secs.
Commonwealth Games 100metres champion Ferdinand Omanyala stunned world indoor 60metres champion Marcell Lamont Jacobs to win the 60m final at Meeting Lievin Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in another Kenyan record on Wednesday.
Omanyala, the Africa 100m champion, dug deep to go in front midway before winning in 6.54 seconds, beating his previous national record by 0.1secs.
This was the first time Omanyala beat Jacobs, the Olympics 100m gold medallist. The Italian finished second in a season’s best 6.57 as Arthur Cisse from Cote d’Ivoire came third in 6.59.
It was a swift and sweet revenge for Omanyala against Jacobs, who beat him in the same event last year. The Italian won in a personal best 6.50 seconds as Omanyala settled fourth but in a national record time of 6.57sec.
It was a glorious end to Omanyala’s World Athletics Indoor Tour where he has won in three events, breaking his own national record twice and finishing second in one.
Omanyala finished second at Elite Indoor Track Miramas meeting in 6.60sec on February 3 before winning the Mondeville Meeting in a national record time of 6.55sec on February 8.
Omanyala then prevailed at Meeting de Paris in 6.56sec on February 11, missing his own record by 0.1sec.
Commonwealth 800m champion Mary Moraa improved her personal best, clocking 2:00.61 to finish second in the women’s 800m behind the winner Keely Hodgkinson of Britain, who ran a world leading time of 1:57.71.
