Will this be Ferdinand Omanyala's moment?
That is the big question as the Kenyan sprints sensation goes into the Paris Diamond League on Friday where world 100 metres champion Fred Kerley of the United States will not be in action.
Also out of the Paris meet are American world 100m medalists Marvin Bracy-Williams (silver) and Trayvon Bromell (bronze) and South African Akani Simbine.
Omanyala is yet to win a Diamond League race since making his debut in 2021 Brussels where he finished fourth in 10.02 with Kerley winning in 9.94.
Since Brussels, Omanyala only made his second appearance in the Diamond League this year in Rabat followed by Florence, having missed out on the 2022 season.
“It has been a great experience in the Diamond League circuit and of course the season so far," said Omanyala, adding that after Paris, he will take a seven-week break from international racing to prepare for the World Championships in Budapest.
Omanyala, the Commonwealth Games and Africa champion, will renew rivalry with role model and former world champion Yohan Blake from Jamaica and American world 200m champion Noah Lyles in Paris.
Omanyala paid tribute to Blake from Jamaica saying he has been an inspiration to him and many people around the world.
“Work hard until your idol becomes your competitor,” said Omanyala on his social media pages.
Kerley (9.94 seconds) beat the Africa pair of Simbine (9.99) and Omanyala (10.05) to second and third places respectively at Rabat Diamond League on May 28, in Morocco.
Kerley would again floor Omanyala, this time round to second place in Florence Diamond League on June 2 in Italy with the pair running similar times from Rabat, 9.94 and 10.05 respectively.
In Rabat, Blake settled sixth in 10.18 and seventh in Florence in 10.15.
Omanyala might have set a new Africa and national record at the Atlanta City Games, clocking 14.89 seconds on May 7, but he finished second behind winner Lyles, who timed 14.56.
Omanyala has season’s best and world lead time of 9.84 from his victory at the Kip Keino Classic on May 13, but he ran wind assisted 9.78 (+2.3) when winning the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 29.
Lyles, who has personal best 9.86, has season’s best 9.95 and a world lead in 200m of 19.67.
Besides Omanyala, who is the second fastest in the field with 9.77 after Blake, 9.69, Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs from Italy, is also in Paris, having missed Rabat and Florence with an injury.
World under-20 100m champion Letsile Tebogo from Botswana will also be brushing shoulders with the big boys in Paris, having finished second at Botswana Golden Grand Prix and fourth in Rabat.
Also at Paris, it will be a battle of world record holders when double Olympic and world 1,500m champion Faith Kiyegon faces world 10,000m champion Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia in women’s 5,000m.
Kipyegon is fresh from setting a new world record in 1,500m with victory in Florence in 3:49.11 while Gidey holds the world record in both 5,000m (14:06.62) and 10,000m (29:01.03).
Another world record could be in the offing with reports that Kipyegon could be in Paris to pace Gidey , her NN Running teammate, to a world record.
