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 to launch 2025 season in Thika

Ferdinand Omanyala

Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after his victory in the men's 100m race at the FBK Games in Hengelo in the Netherlands.

Photo credit: Pool

By  Ayumba Ayodi

Correspondent

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

  • Last year, Omanyala posted a world-leading time of 9.79 seconds during the National Trials for the Paris Olympic Games on June 15. That time ranked second globally for the season, only behind Jamaican Kishane Thompson’s 9.77 seconds set at Jamaica’s Olympic trials.
  • With his eyes set on the Tokyo World Championships, Omanyala is taking things one step at a time, focusing on steady progress rather than putting himself under unnecessary pressure.

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, will officially launch his 2025 season at the second leg of the Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting in Thika, Kiambu County, on Friday.

Omanyala, who for the first time in three years skipped the World Indoor Tour, will take part in the 100m and 400m races at the murram track at Thika County Stadium.

The Commonwealth Games 100m champion had initially planned to kick off his season in mid-March in South Africa but has since opted for a different approach.

Related

“I am glad to start my season in Thika as my coach has planned,” said the 29-year-old, who is coached by Geoffrey Kimani.

Omanyala deliberately skipped the indoor season to fully focus on outdoor championships, with his ultimate goal being the World Athletics Championships, scheduled for September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.

Last year, he also began his season with a 400m race during the second Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting, which was relocated from Thika to Ulinzi Sports Complex.

His manager, Marcel Viljoen, had earlier indicated that the 100m African record holder, who made his indoor debut in 2022, would participate in a few races in South Africa to sharpen up.

Omanyala resumed training in November after last competing at the Memorial van Damme meet in Belgium on September 14, where he won the 100m in 10.07 seconds.

Omanyala had a challenging outing at the Paris Olympic Games, where he once again fell short in the semi-finals—matching his performance at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Reflecting on his journey, he admitted that failing to medal at both the Paris Olympics and the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest humbled him.

In Budapest, Omanyala entered as a strong title contender but finished a disappointing seventh in a race won by American Noah Lyles.

However, before heading to Budapest, he had made history as the first Kenyan to win a 100m race at the Diamond League with victory in Monaco. Despite his strong form, he surprisingly failed to reach the final at the Paris Olympics, finishing eighth in his semi-final heat.

Last year, Omanyala posted a world-leading time of 9.79 seconds during the National Trials for the Paris Olympic Games on June 15. That time ranked second globally for the season, only behind Jamaican Kishane Thompson’s 9.77 seconds set at Jamaica’s Olympic trials.

With his eyes set on the Tokyo World Championships, Omanyala is taking things one step at a time, focusing on steady progress rather than putting himself under unnecessary pressure.