Omanyala: I've picked lessons that will make me better

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has said that failing to medal at the Paris Olympic Games and last year’s World Athletics Championships has humbled him.

Omanyala said that the last two seasons have taught him that he needs to keep working hard and never to be comfortable because all his foes trying their level best to be more competitive. And any mistake can be costly.

“Competition is something that makes you not be comfortable because at some point I thought I was sitting at the top of the world but failed to reach the final at the Paris Olympics,” said Omanyala.

“I can’t go back and change anything about what has happened, but I can only pick lessons and work on things that will make me better next time,” said Omanyala.

However, Omanyala said his main focus in the coming season was the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan where former world champion Julius Yego (javelin) and Ruth Chepng’etich also hope to reclaim their titles.

Omanyala, Yego and Chepng’etich were speaking on the sideline of Athletics Kenya’s (AK’s) launch of the 2024/2025 calendar of events dubbed “Road to Tokyo” presided over by Sport Principal Secretary, Peter Tum and AK president Jack Tuwei at Weston Hotel Wednesday.

Omanyala was one of the favourites to clinch the World Athletics Championships men’s 100m title in Budapest, Hungary last year but finished a disappointing seventh place in a race won by American Noah Lyles.

Before heading to Budapest, Omanyala had made history as the first Kenyan to win a 100m race at the Diamond League with victory in Monaco on July 21.

This year, Omanyala ran a world lead of 9.79 seconds during the National trials for the Paris Olympic Games on June 15, a time that is now ranked second this season after Jamaican Kishane Thompson’s 9.77 from Jamaica’s Paris Olympics trials on June 28.

Omanyala, surprisingly failed to reach the Paris Olympics Games men’s 100m final, sinking to eighth place in the semi-final of his heat.

“The 2024 was yet another season of learning…we learn every day, in our jobs, schools and generally in life. We shall never stop learning,” said Omanyala who is in the second week of his six-week off season break.

Omanyala, 28, said he is trying to sort out his personal businesses and making his “Omanyala Foundation” work before he unveils his programme for next season in January.

Chepng’etich, who withdrew from Barcelona Half Marathon in February this year with an ankle injury before finishing ninth at London Marathon on April 21, said she was fit again and ready to challenge for the Chicago Marathon title on October 13.

“I will be glad if selected to represent Kenya in Tokyo since it is my dream to recapture the marathon title,” said Chepng’etich, the 2021 and 2022 Chicago Marathon winner.

Chepng’etich holds the third fastest time in Chicago of 2:14:19 set while winning the 2022 race after Brigid Kosgei’s 2:14:04, formerly a world record and Sifan Hassan’s 2:13:44.

Yego, who has already qualified for Tokyo with his throw of 87.72m that saw him finish fifth at Paris Olympics, said legendary distance runner Eliud Kipchoge has inspired him to fight on.

“At 35, I still have more energy even though not that of a 20-year-old. That tells me that I will need to redouble my effort if I am to medal in Tokyo,” said Yego, the 2015 world javelin champion and 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist.

Tuwei said that no stone will be left unturned to ensure the country excels in Tokyo as he hinted of a more lucrative prize money for the local cross country series and track and field meetings.

Tuwei said the change in the sports has forced them to embrace technology and scientific ways of doing things so as to not only attract sponsors, but a new generation to athletics. 

"We must explore opportunities and strike partnerships with the corporates since funds will be needed for our programmes to be successful," said Tuwei.

He reiterated that Kenya will bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.