Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, the current African record holder in the men’s 100-meter sprint, is setting his sights beyond the continent as he prepares to challenge the world’s best at the upcoming Games in Paris this year.
Omanyala etched his name in the record books when he clocked an astonishing 9.77 seconds at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on September 18, 2021. This remarkable feat ranks him ninth globally, but the Kenyan sprinter is determined to elevate his status from Africa’s fastest man to one of the world’s elite.
“Yeah, I’m excited about this one, because I’m getting in as the second fastest in the world this year and third in the world ranking, so that gives me an edge over the others,” Omanyala told CGTN’s Mohamed Abubakar. “I’m glad that this time it’s different because I’ve had to make so many changes between 2021 and now to make sure we get this right.”
Reflecting on his Olympic debut three years ago in Tokyo, where he reached the semifinals with a time of 10 seconds, Omanyala is optimistic about his prospects in Paris. “When I changed my coach and the approach this season, we didn’t want to peak too fast too early. The last two seasons we’ve been running too fast in April and March and then later on in the championships we’re not doing good, so we’ve changed that approach and I’m happy and positive that it’s going to work,” he added.
Omanyala will not be alone on the world stage. He will be joined by fellow African sprinters Akani Simbine of South Africa and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana. “I’m glad that I joined and found Simbine in the sport, I was looking up to him before I became who I was,” Omanyala said. “I’ll be so happy to see him make the final. Tebogo is a silver medalist from last year’s world champs and I’m sure he’ll be there.”
He envisions a historic moment for African sprinting. “It’ll be a blessing to have three Africans in the final but again we can’t think about the final and we have not done even the heats. So I won’t talk too much about it, because I want to handle each stage as it comes. The most important thing is to get in there and we start on from the heats and get through the rounds,” the Kenyan sprinter added.
With a renewed approach and unwavering determination, Omanyala is poised to make a significant impact on the global stage. His journey reflects not only his personal ambitions but also the rising prominence of African athletes in the sprinting world.
Reference(s):
Africa's 'fastest man' Omanyala wants to challenge the best in Paris
cgtn.com
