Ferdinand Omanyala
His mantra since breaking onto the scene: “I want to show the world that Kenyans can sprint as well.” True to his words, Ferdinand Omanyala has been leading the conversation about Kenyans moving down from the long distance events and now competing in the shorter sprints.
Omanyala inspired a Kenyan quartet to win Gold in men’s 4x100m at the African Championships, something they are not akin with. Yes they have won the odd continental 4x400m titles, but in the 4x100m was really unheard of, and one man has had front-row seat leading the charge.
Now, Omanyala is mentioned in the same breath as Olympic champion, Marcell Lamont Jacobs and Olympic Silver medallist, Fred Kerley whom he would be facing in the men’s 100m, athletes he would aim to overcome if he is to etch his name in Kenya’s history books forever.
This season, the 26-year old former Rugby player led the way, returning to Kasarani where he ran 9.77s in 2021, this time around running 9.85s to beat Kerley to huge cheers from his home fans. Kerley has gone on to run breathtaking times of 9.76s and 9.77s to win the US title, laying down the challenge for Omanyala.
The Kenyan showed he could overcome serious challenges, scaling his first litmus test against Simbine in the men’s 100m final in Mauritius. Although Omanyala was the favourite, Simbine made him work hard for it, and could have even been adjudged the winner since they both clocked an identical 9.93s.
They both go to Oregon flying the continental flag, and Omanyala appreciates how Simbine spurs him, adding that winning the African title was the launching pad he needed for the World Championships.
“It’s one of the titles that I’ve always wanted and dreamt of, and it’s a stepping stone to the World Championships. That was a great race I must say, and thanks to Akani who pushed me. Because if I was alone in the front, I could have eased off.” Omanyala said.
“I hope we (Omanyala & Simbine) take this African sprinting to the next level going for the World Championships and again the Commonwealth Games, because we are meeting again at the Commonwealth Games. It’s a good thing that Africa is now emerging and having more than one person representing the continent. I look forward to a great championships.”
In less than two years, Omanyala has shot up into global reckoning, going into his first world championships as the third fastest man in 2022. He has worked to get to the apex within a short time.
In 2021, he made a decision to travel abroad and compete in Lagos, running a then Kenyan Record of 10.01s. It was the performance that got the wheels in motion going to Tokyo 2020 Olympics, becoming his country’s first athlete to make the semifinals of the 100m.
From last season until now, Omanyala has run four legal sub 10s, and three of those races have been below 9.9s. If he races to his full potentials, Omanyala could become the first Kenyan athlete to make the final of the 100m at a global championships, seriously challenging for a medal and possibly reaching heights their greatest sprinter in the past, Joseph Gikonyo once aimed for.
