Akani Simbine (left), Ferdinand Omanyala and Letsile Tebogo.
Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala will start his 2026 Diamond League season in East Asia before embarking on a European tour.
The last minute withdrawal for Olympic and world 100 metres silver medallist, Kishane Thompson from Jamaica, has gifted Omanyala a place at the Shanghai and Xiamen Diamond League meets, the opening legs of the series, scheduled for Saturday and May 23, respectively.
“Such opportunities are good, and competing at such a level is always a pleasure. I am glad to return to China, and I look forward to a great start to the Diamond League,” said Omanyala, spoiling for a fight.
“We have a strong lineup that will produce fast times in Shanghai. My goal remains the same; to run under 10 seconds, God willing,” said Omanyala, who is sponsored by Adidas, Toyota, Oppo, USN-Kenya Ultimate Sports Nutrition, Medex and Tecar.
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala reacts after completing a men's 100m race the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 13, 2025.
Omanyala opened his Diamond League season last year at the same two events, finishing second in Xiamen in 10.13 seconds, as South African Akani Simbine won in 9.99.
He clocked 10.25 in Shanghai to finish a disappointing ninth.
The 30-year-old former rugby player, who holds the African record of 9.77, has registered three sub-10 performances this season to show glimpses of his devastating form from a few years ago.
Omanyala has registered 25 career sub-10-second runs.
In Shanghai, Omanyala will come face to face with the world’s kings of sprint, made up of Olympic and world medallists.
The stacked field includes Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (personal best 9.86), the 2024 Paris Olympics 200m champion, and defending champion Akani Simbine (9.82) of South Africa and the 2019 Doha world 100m champion, American Christian Coleman (9.76).
The 2015 Beijing and 2022 Eugene world 100m bronze medallist, American Bromell Trayvon, is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 9.76 attained at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic, where Omanyala broke the African record.
The 2023 Kip Keino Classic champions and 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics 200m silver medallist, Kenneth Bednarek (9.79), also from the United States of America, and Australia's Kennedy Lachlan, will also race in Shanghai. Bednarek won the Kip Keino Classic in 2023 and Lachlan in 2025.
This has been the best ever start to a season for the Commonwealth Games 100m champion. He recently ended his sub-10-second drought.
Read: Omanyala does it again!
He did that when he won the Addis Ababa Grand Prix in 9.98 on April 18 and followed that up with victory at the Kip Keino Classic in 9.96 on April 24 before settling for third place in 9.95 behind Canadians Jerome Blake (993) and Andre De Grasse (9.95) at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix two days later.
Ferdinand Omanyala reacts after finishing a men's 100m race during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at Stade de France on August 03, 2024.
From East Asia, Omanyala will compete at the 19° Triveneto Meeting Internazionale, a World Athletics Continental Tour on May 30 in Trieste, Italy before resuming his Diamond League quest at Rome Golden Gala on June 4.
He will then race at the Dromia Sprint and Relays Meeting, another World Athletics Continental Tour on June 13 in Vari, Greece.
Omanyala made his Diamond League debut at Brussels on September 1, 2021, finishing fourth in 10.02 seconds, behind winner American Fred Kerley in 9.94.
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