Ferdinand Omanyala shatters another record in France
Ferdinand Omanyala (right) wins his 200m heat during third Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on January 26, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Omanyala, the Commonwealth Games and Africa 100m champion, put away the semi-final heat in 6.62, as he powered from behind to win the Elite Indoor Track Miramas Meeting on Friday in France in 6.52.
Africa's 100 metres record holder Ferdinand Omanyala shattered his 60m indoor National Record by 0.2 seconds on Friday.
Omanyala, the Commonwealth Games and Africa 100m champion, put away the semi-final heat in 6.62, as he powered from behind to win the Elite Indoor Track Miramas Meeting on Friday in France in 6.52.
The explosive performance saw Omanyala smash his previous National Record of 6.54 set during the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-des-Calais on February 15, last year.
Omanyala, who had finished second last year in a national record time of 6.60, edged out Emmanuel Alobwede Eseme from Cameroon to second place, also in a National Record time of 6.61.
It was a sweet revenge for Omanyala against Arthur Cisse from Cote d'Ivoire, who beat him last year, as the Ivorian settled third in a season's best 6.62.
Omanyala now takes his next quest to Meeting de Paris on February 11 in the French capital before focusing on the World Indoor Championships scheduled for March 1 to 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
It will be Omanyala’s second appearance at the world indoor event after he reached the semi-finals during the 2022 championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
Other Kenyans failed to sparkle as Wiseman Were and Boniface Mweresa finished third and fourth in 48.05 and 48.61 respectively in the men's 400m race won by Channel Inaki in 46.72.
Lydia Lagat clocked 4:15.24 to finish seventh in women's 1,500m that went to Agatha Guillemot from Great Britain in a Meet Record of 4:08.57.
Munguti Kyumbe also settled seventh in men's 1,500m in 3:40.89 as Ryan Mafori Mphahlele won in a Meet Record time of 3:36.57.
