No medal, no problem...Omanyala picks positives from Glasgow
Ferdinand Omanyala competes in 400m during second Athletics Kenya Track and Field meeting at Ulinzi sports complex on January 5, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Omanyala, who has broken his own national record twice this season from 6.54 seconds to 6.52 and then 6.51, reached the semi-finals of the 60m during the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships
- Omanyala clocked 6.56 seconds to settle fourth as American Christian Coleman reclaimed the world indoor 60m title, winning the final in 6.41
- Outdoor world 200m and 100m champion Noah Lyles settled second in 6.44 as the Jamaican Ackeem Blake came third in 6.46
Kenya’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is happy to have finished fourth in the 60 metres final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships that end Sunday at the Commonwealth Arena in Glasgow, Scotland.
“World 4th indoors....will take it,” said Omanyala, who thanked his coach Geoffrey Kimani for making him move three positions up.
Omanyala, who has broken his own national record twice this season from 6.54 seconds to 6.52 and then 6.51, reached the semi-finals of the 60m during the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Omanyala clocked 6.56 seconds to settle fourth as American Christian Coleman reclaimed the world indoor 60m title, winning the final in 6.41. Outdoor world 200m and 100m champion Noah Lyles settled second in 6.44 as the Jamaican Ackeem Blake came third in 6.46.
Kimani noted that his athlete has improved by virtue of posting 6.5 times consistently.
“If you are to make comparisons, Omanyala was running more than 6.6 last season but out of seven races, he has posted only one 6.6 with the rest being 6.5,” said Kimani. “We knew to be in a good zone, he had to be in the 6.5 zone.”
Kimani explained that coaching Omanyala on phone proved tricky since there are finer details explained physically. “Breaking his national record twice with 6.5 are pointers that 6.4 could have been possible in a championship event. It’s a process and growth,” explained Kimani.
Kimani said that they will pick the positives from Glasgow as they strategise on Omanyala’s next race in preparation for the Kip Keino Classic scheduled for April 20 in Nairobi.
“I am happy with his top end speed, which is good for outdoor,” said Kimani.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Vivian Chebet finished third in the first 800m semi-final heat in personal best 1:59.65 to qualify for the women’s final.
It’s Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, who struck personal best 1:58.35 to win the heat, beating Noélie Yarigo from Benin to second place also in personal best 1:59.45.
Briton Jemma Reekie reigned in the second semi-final heat in 1:58.28 to ease through beating Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu in 1:58.59 and Halimah Nakaayi from Uganda in 1:58.91 as they all qualified for the final scheduled for Sunday.
On Saturday, 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and the 2021 world under-20 3,000m champion Teresiah Gateri were to field in the women's 3,000m final.
Kenya is yet to win the event since Hellen Obiri's exploits in 2012.
