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Heartbreak as Omanyala withdraws from Diamond League final
Ferdinand Omanyala during Word continental Tour Gold Kipkeino Classics at Ulinzi sports Complex on May 31, 2025.
Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, has withdrawn from men’s 100 metres Diamond League final scheduled for Thursday at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, Switzerland.
Omanyala announced on Monday on his social media pages that he has been forced to withdraw from the Diamond League final owing to nagging pain in his hip and around the pelvic area.
However, Omanyala, who has pitched training camp in Miramas, southern France, hopes to recover well in time for the 2025 World Athletics Championships which will be held from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.
“Due to recent hip, iliopsoas and gluteal pain experienced over the past few weeks, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to participate in the 2025 Diamond League Finals,” Omanyala said in his Facebook page, and on his X handle.
“I am optimistic about my recovery, and I anticipate to be fully fit for Tokyo,” Omanyala said.
The iliopsoas muscle is the primary hip flexor and assists in external rotation of the hip joint, playing an important role in maintaining its strength.
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala after winning the second heat of the 100m race at the Paris Olympics on August 3, 2024 at Stade de France.
Omanyala’s withdrawal from the competition will be heartbreak for his fans who have been waiting for his first major win of the season.
They were looking forward to a strong display from the African record holder over 100m, given that the Diamond League final is the final major race of the season before the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Ferdinand Omanyala at the press conference at Tamarind Tree Hotel, Nairobi on May 30, 2025.
This year, Omanyala will be making his third appearance at the world championships after competing in the 2022 edition in Eugene, Oregon, and in the 2023 edition in Budapest.
History maker
Omanyala, 29, made history as the first Kenyan 100m sprinter to not only grace the Diamond League, but to also win an event in the lucrative series with victory in 2023 edition in Monaco.
He competed in the 2023 Diamond League Finals at in Eugene, Oregon, where he clocked 9.85 seconds to finish third behind home runners Christian Coleman (9.83) and Noah Lyles (9.85).
Omanyala did not compete in the Diamond League final last year.
This year, he has done enough to reach the finals, having been ranked fifth overall in the series with 20 points.
The Commonwealth Games 100m champion, who has not recorded a sub-10 seconds performance this year, has on several occasions assured his fans that he would peak at the right time, having changeed his training and competition schedule this year.
In this season’s Diamond League, Omanyala finished second in Xiamen Diamond League in China, clocking 10.00 behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine who won in 9.90.
Omanyala then finished ninth and in final position in Shanghai Diamond League on May 3 in China in a time of 10.25. Simbine again won in 9.98.
Omanyala again lost to Simbine in Rabat Diamond League on May 25. Omanyala timed 10.05 against Simbine’s 9.95.
Omanyala, who has competed in 20 100m races this year, helped the national 4x100m to qualify for the World Athletics Championships during the World Relay Championships held in May this year in Guangzhou, China.
