Africa’s fastest man in 100 metres, Ferdinand Omanyala, will be hoping to redeem himself at the Rome Diamond League on Friday.
Omanyala is eager to bounce back from the Paris Olympic disappointment, where he failed to reach the finals after finishing second last in the semifinal in a time of 10.08.
The Olympic podium was dominated by USA’s Noah Lyles and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, both clocking 9.79 while Fred Kerley secured bronze with 9.81.
Despite the Paris setback, Omanyala is still the second fastest man this year, tied with Lyles at 9.79, a time he clocked at the Nyayo Stadium during Kenya’s Olympic trials.
The 28-year-old trails only Thompson, who set a blistering 9.77 seconds at the Jamaican trials.
Omanyala will be looking to replicate his victory from last year’s Monaco Diamond League, where he triumphed in 9.92, edging out Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.93) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (10.00).
However, the competition will be fierce with Thompson, Kerley and Tokyo 2020 champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy— all in the lineup.
Tebogo, fresh off a 200m victory at the Lausanne Diamond League, will also pose a serious challenge.
The Botswana star clinched the 200m Olympic title in Paris with a time of 19.46 and helped his team secure silver in the 4x400m relay with a time of 2:54.53—trailing the USA (2:54.43). In the 100m final, Tebogo finished sixth with a time of 9.86.
Other notable competitors include World Indoor 60m bronze medallist Ackeem Blake of Jamaica and 2015 World Youth champion, Abdul Hakim of Japan.
Meanwhile, three-time Olympic 1,500 Faith Kipyegon will spearhead the 1,500m.
Kipyegon set an Olympic record time of 3:51.29 to complete a hat-trick of victories, adding to the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Her feat in 1500m saw her stamping her authority as the greatest athlete over the distance in history. Joining Kipyegon in the Italian capital is Nelly Chepchirchir.
Kenya’s competition will come from world silver medallist Diribe Welteji who placed fourth at the Olympics and World U20 champion Birke Haylom of Ethiopia.
Elsewhere, the women’s 3,000m steeplechase will be a repeat of the podium finishers at the Paris Olympics with Faith Cherotich taking on Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai and Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi.
In Paris, Yavi claimed the title with an Olympic record time of 8:52.76, beating Chemutai (8:53.34) and Cherotich (8:55.15).
In the men’s 5,000m, Olympic silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi will lead Kenya’s charge, alongside Nicholas Kipkorir, Jacob Krop and Edwin Kurgat.
They will face a formidable Ethiopian trio, including 10,000m Olympic silver medallist Berihu Aregawi, 2020 Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Berega and Rio 2016 5,000m bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet.
