Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has expressed gratitude to Kenyans who sent him messages of goodwill despite failing to make it to the Olympics finals in the 100m race.
Speaking for the first time after failing to reach the 100m Olympic final, Omanyala figuratively said the results did not mark the end of his pursuit for excellence in the race.
"Whatever you’re facing right now—it’s not the end of your story. God is with you and always will be. Thank you to everyone who believes that the Kenyan sprint story will never be the same again," he said on X.
Omanyala failed to reach the final despite finishing first in the heats leading up to the semi-final.
His hope of becoming the first ever Kenyan to reach the Olympics 100m final hit a snag as he finished a distant eighth in the semi-final.
He clocked 10.08 seconds to finish second last in the semi-final race.
Omanyala went to the Olympic games as the second fastest man.
Before the semi-final, Omanyala had exuded confidence that he was a better athlete compared to the Tokyo Olympics and had high hopes of storming the final this year.
“So many things have happened in the last three years, Commonwealth and African titles and a couple of Diamond League wins. Three years is a long time for an athlete to grow,” he said.
In the Tokyo Olympics, Omanyala was eliminated after placing third (10.00) in semi-final 1.
