Despite missing out on victory at the FNB Bots w a n a Golden Grand Prix over the weekend, Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, says he’s revved up and ready for his Diamond League opener in Xiamen on April 26.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games champion clocked 10.00 seconds to settle for second place behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who scorched the track with a world-leading 9.90 seconds in Gaborone.
South Africa’s Retshidisitswe Mlenga (10.15) completed the podium with Mark Otieno (10.22) finishing fourth.
Omanyala had arrived in Botswana hoping to defend the title he won in 2023 after clocking 9.78 to outclass Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo (9.91) and American speedster Kenneth Bednarek (10.02).
The much-hyped 100m duel in Gaborone lived up to its billing as Simbine and Omanyala—Africa’s top sprinters—went head-to-head in a thrilling showdown.
Omanyala lauded Simbine for bringing his top form in the tightly contested showdown. “He is a good athlete and I am happy he brought out the competition in the race,” Omanyala said.
While he couldn’t replicate the 2023 fireworks, the 29-year-old remains upbeat ahead of the busy season.
“It was a good race and I improved my season best. Now I am looking forward to the rest of the season,” he said.
In Xiamen, he is expected to renew rivalries with Tebogo, who has already been confirmed for the meet by the Diamond League organisers.
Tebogo heads into the season in blistering form after winning the 200m in front of a home crowd in Gaborone in 20.23 seconds.
Prior to that, he had secured a runner-up finish in the 400m at the Maurie Plant meet in Australia clocking 45.26 in a Botswana podium sweep.
Bayapo Ndori (45.14) won the race with Leungo Scotch (45.60) finishing third. Omanyala’s time in Gaborone was his quickest so far this year.
He opened his season at the Athletics Kenya Track and Field Weekend meet in Thika, where he ran 10.20 in the semis, opting out of the finals.
He then featured in the ASA Grand Prix Series in South Africa, finishing third (10.22) in the first leg before storming to victory in the second leg with 10.08.
Last month, he claimed top honours at the third Uganda National Trials in Kampala, stopping the clock at 10.09.
He further anchored Kenya’s 4x100m relay team—comprising Justine Isaboke, Meshack Babu and Isaac Omurwa—to victory in Uganda in 39.50 seconds.
Omanyala is hoping to return to Botswana again during the next edition of the meet. “The crowd was massive and I loved it, I always love Botswana so I look forward to coming back again,” he noted.
