Hello

Your subscription is almost coming to an end. Don’t miss out on the great content on Nation.Africa

Ready to continue your informative journey with us?

Hello

Your premium access has ended, but the best of Nation.Africa is still within reach. Renew now to unlock exclusive stories and in-depth features.

Reclaim your full access. Click below to renew.

Subscribe for a month to get full access

Omanyala set for global season debut at ASA Grand Prix in South Africa

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (centre) takes on USA's Kenny Bednarek

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (centre) takes on USA's Kenny Bednarek (right) in men's 100 metres race during the Absa Kip Keino Classic at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on April 20, 2024.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 07.39.48 (1)

By  Bernard Rotich

Reporter

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

  • He then claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (10.02 seconds) and finished seventh at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest (10.07 seconds).
  • With the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo in sight, Omanyala is keen to build momentum and improve his performance as he kicks off his campaign in South Africa.

Africa’s 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala is set to compete in his first international race of the season as he builds up towards the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Omanyala, who has been training in Nairobi since the beginning of the year, opted to skip the indoor season to focus on outdoor events. His season debut will be at the ASA Grand Prix 1 in South Africa on Wednesday.

He will be up against fellow Kenyan Mark Otieno, who is also vying for a spot at the global championship. Other competitors include South African sprinters Erasmus Emile, Adams Luxolo, and Letebele Karabo, Zimbabwe’s Makusha Ngoni, and Botswana’s Boitshwarelo Mothusi.

Related

With the season kicking off, most sprinters are using the race as part of their preparations for the World Athletics Relays Championships set for May 10-11, 2025, in Guangzhou, China.

Omanyala set the African 100m record of 9.77 seconds at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on September 18, 2021.

After reaching the semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he capped off last season with a victory at the Memorial Van Damme meet on September 14.

During the 2024 National Trials ahead of the Olympics, Omanyala recorded a world-leading time of 9.79 seconds at Nyayo National Stadium, reinforcing his dominance in African sprinting.

His international career began in 2017 at the World Athletics Relays, where he teamed up with Mark Odhiambo, Mike Nyang’au, and Peter Mwai in the 4x200m relay. He later competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, setting a national record of 10.00 seconds to reach the semifinals.

Omanyala has also shone on other global stages. In 2022, he won the African Championships 100m title in Mauritius before making the semifinals of the World Championships in Oregon, USA (10.14 seconds).

He then claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (10.02 seconds) and finished seventh at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest (10.07 seconds).

With the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo in sight, Omanyala is keen to build momentum and improve his performance as he kicks off his campaign in South Africa.