• Omanyala aims to improve on his Tokyo 2020 performance, where he was eliminated in the semifinals with a time of 10.00.
• This year, his accolades include a second-place finish at the Prefontaine Classic (9.98), third at the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica (10.02), and a title from the FBK Games in Hengelo (10.01).
Image: HANDOUT
Africa's fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, will be hoping to draw inspiration from his 2022 Commonwealth Games triumph for success in the men's 100m at the Paris Olympics.
The 28-year-old, recently named Kenya’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the Paris Games, will lead the nation for the second time on the international stage–a role he also held in Birmingham.
Omanyala, the second fastest man in the globe this year (9.79), believes his previous performances as a flag bearer can fuel his Olympic ambitions.
“I was the flag bearer at the Commonwealth Games and my performance was exceptional. Being the flag bearer in Paris, I hope to replicate that success. The whole nation is looking at me to excel,” he said.
In Birmingham, Omanyala clinched the 100m title in 10.02 seconds, outpacing South Africa's Akani Simbine (10.13) and Sri Lanka's Yupun Abeykoon (10.14).
Looking ahead to Paris, Omanyala aims to improve on his Tokyo 2020 performance, where he was eliminated in the semifinals with a time of 10.00.
“In Tokyo, I lacked the experience to compete against the top sprinters. I had not taken part in Diamond leagues or other competitions to get the needed experience."
"Since then, I’ve raced in major competitions like the Diamond League. Paris will be different. The goal is to reach the finals,” he stated.
Italy’s Lamont Marcell (9.80), USA’s Fred Kerley (9.84) and Andre De Grasse of Canada (9.89) sealed the podium in Tokyo.
After Tokyo, Omanyala won the 2022 ASA Grand Prix in Johannesburg with 9.98 seconds, followed by victories at the Castiglione international meeting in Italy (10.11) and the African Championships in Mauritius, where he clocked 9.93.
In 2023, he placed second at the Paris Diamond League with a time of 9.98 trailing USA’s Noah Lyles (9.97) and ahead of Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (10.05).
He followed it up with a title from the Monaco Diamond League clocking 9.92 ahead of Tebogo (9.93) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (10.00).
Despite falling short at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August with a seventh-place finish (10.07), he bounced back to claim third place at the Prefontaine Classic in September clocking 9.85 behind Lyles (9.85) and Christian Coleman (9.83).
This year, his accolades include a second-place finish at the Prefontaine Classic (9.98), third at the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica (10.02) and a title from the FBK Games in Hengelo (10.01).
Omanyala also believes being mentally prepared will be key to success in Paris.
“Being well prepared mentally will be key to good performance because sprints are a physically draining event. You have to be mentally and physically ready,” he commented.
In Paris, he will be up against Olympic champion Marcell, World Champion Lyles, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson (fastest man in the world currently - 9.77), 200m Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek and two-time World U20 champion Tebogo.
Other notable competitors include Jamaica's Oblique Seville, Coleman and Simbine. The men’s 100m event is slated to start on August 3.