Ahead of their potentially explosive 100 metres showdown at the Rome Diamond League today in the Italian capital, Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has thrown down the gauntlet to his rivals.
Omanyala has warned the 2024 Paris Olympics 100 metres champion, American Noah Lyles, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 100 metres champion Marcel Jacobs of Italy, and the Paris Olympics 200 metres champion Letsile Tebogo, of Botswana that they should prepare for an exciting battle.
“This time, it won’t be the same. It will be a completely different affair. I am not the same Omanyala they are used to, it’ll be different,” said the athlete, who is hoping for third time lucky in Rome.
“I promise you fireworks... the roof at the historic Stadio Olimpico will blow off... I told you that I am focused on achieving sub-10 second performances in all my Diamond League races,” he said.
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after crossing the line to win the men's 100m race at the Xiamen Diamond League Meeting in China on May 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
Since achieving his second ever Diamond League victory in Xiamen, China, on May 23 in 9.94 seconds, Omanyala has been training in Italy, where he won the 19° Triveneto Meeting Internazionale in Trieste in 10.11 seconds.
He first competed at the Rome Golden Gala in 2024, finishing seventh in 10.08 in a race won by Tebogo in 9.87. He returned last year, settling for third place in 10.01 behind American Trayvon Bromell (9.84) and Emmanuel Eseme (9.99) from Cameroon.
In Xiamen, Omanyala claimed revenge against South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, who had beaten him days earlier in Shanghai.
Omanyala clocked a season’s best of 9.94, while the South African settled for second place in 10.00.
Bromell came third in 10.03, followed by Bednarek and Simbine in 10.03 and 10.04 respectively. Former world champion Coleman sank to seventh in 10.08, while Tebogo finished eighth in 10.10.
In Shanghai, Omanyala was beaten by Leotlela, who ran 9.97 seconds to Omanyala’s 9.98 seconds. Simbine (10.05 seconds) and Tebogo (10.12 seconds) finished sixth and seventh respectively.
Ferdinand Omanyala wins the 100m men race during World Continental Gold Tour Kipkeino Classic at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on April 24, 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
With Leotlela, Bednarek, Coleman and Bromell absent, Omanyala will confront Lyles, the 2025 World 100 metres bronze medallist. Lyles achieved a season’s best of 9.95 seconds in his victory at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Tokyo on May 17.
This will be Lyles’ first 100 metres race in Rome; he has only competed in the 200 metres before, finishing second in 19.72 seconds in a legendary narrow photo-finish defeat to Michael Norman in 2019.
Tebogo is looking to build on his runner-up finish in the 200 metres in Rabat, having finished eighth in the 100 metres in Xiamen. Meanwhile, Simbine is hoping for better results after settling for sixth place in Shanghai and fifth in Xiamen.
This will be Jacobs’ second event of the season, after he settled for third place with a season’s best of 10.01 at the 15th Savona International Meeting in Savona, Italy, on Saturday.
Also in contention are Jordan Anthony of the USA, the world indoor 60 metres champion who has run 9.91 so far this season, and Jamaican Ackeem Blake.
Europe will always hold fond memories for Omanyala, as it is where he achieved some historic moments for himself and his country.
Ferdinand Omanyala charges past Brandon Hicklin in 100m men finishing line during World Continental Gold Tour Kipkeino Classic on April 24, 2026 at Nyayo National Stadium.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
He made his Diamond League debut in Brussels on September 1, 2021, finishing fourth in 10.02 seconds behind the winner, American Fred Kerley, who ran 9.94 seconds.
Omanyala came second in the Florence Diamond League behind Kerley on June 2, 2023, before making history as the first Kenyan to win the 100 metres at the Diamond League in Monaco on July 21 of the same year.
“The 2023 season remains my best so far, with 12 sub-10 second performances,” said Omanyala, who has run five sub-10 second races so far.
The men’s 100 metres will be the last race of the evening, starting at 11:53 pm Kenyan time.
