Ferdinand Omanyala shatters 100m national record in Tokyo
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after finishing third in men's 100m semi-finals Heat 1 during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 1, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Omanyala set a new personal best and national record of 10.00 seconds after placing third in Heat 1 of the semi-finals
- His impressive time was however not enough to book him a place in the final
- Omanyala and USA's Trayvon Bromell, both on 10.00 seconds, looked set to clinch the two slots for non-automatic qualifiers but the fast Heat 3 ruled them out
In Tokyo
Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala Sunday shattered his own National Record in the Tokyo Olympic Games 100 metres semi-finals.
Omanyala set a new personal best and national record of 10.00 seconds after placing third in Heat 1 of the semi-finals.
His impressive time was however not enough to book him a place in the final.
The top two athletes from each of the three heats qualify for the final as well as two athletes with the fastest times.
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after finishing third in men's 100m semi-finals Heat 1 during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 1, 2021.
The two non-automatic qualifiers, South African Akani Simbine (9.90) and Italian Lamont Jacobs (9.84), came from Heat 3 that was won by Chinese Su Bingtan in a new personal best and Asian record of 9.83 seconds.
Omanyala had on Saturday set a new record of 10.01 seconds after finishing third in Heat 5 to qualify for the semi-finals.
Heat 1 of the semi-finals was tense from the onset after Reece Prescod was shown red for a false start.
And when the race finally got underway it's American Fred Kerley who won in 9.96 seconds with Canadian Andre de Grasse setting for second in 9.98 seconds.
USA's Fred Kerley (second left) crosses the finish to win the men's 100m semi-finals between third-placed Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (left) and second-placed Canada's Andre De Grasse (second right) during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 1, 2021.
Omanyala and USA's Trayvon Bromell, both on 10.00 seconds, looked set to clinch the two slots for non-automatic qualifiers but the fast Heat 3 ruled them out.
