Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya Saturday had a superb start to win his second heat of the 100 metres and advance to the semis at the Paris Olympic Games.
Omanyala, the Commonwealth |games 100m champion, led through before easing off to the finish line in 10.08 seconds, edging out Italian Ali Chituru and Joshua Hartmann to second and third places in 10.12 and 10.16 seconds respectively to all qualify for Sunday's semi-finals.
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala after winning the second heat of the 100m race at the Paris Olympics on August 3, 2024 at Stade de France.
Photo credit: Joan Pereruan | Nation Media Group
World leader Kishane Thompson from Jamaica and world 100m champion Noah Lyles from the United States of America also qualified to the second round.
Thompson braved a nervous start after Briton Azu Jeremiah was disqualified for a false start to win the first heat in 10.00, beating Ghanaian Benjamin Azamati to second place in 10.08.
Reynaldo Espinosa from Cuba timed 10.11 to snatch the last automatic qualifying place in the semi-finals.
However, Lyles, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 200m bronze medallist, was beaten Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe to second place in the third heat but still qualified for the semis.
Hinchliffe led all through to win in 9.98 as Lyles pulled from behind to dip for second in 10.04 as Shaun Maswanganyi from South Africa timed 10.06 for third to also make the semis.
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala greets the fans after winning the second heat of the 100m race at the Paris Olympics on August 3, 2024 at Stade de France.
Photo credit: Joan Pereruan | Nation Media Group
Olympic 100m champion Marcell Lamont Jacobs came second in heat five in 10.05 to also storm the semi-finals as Ajayi Kayinsola prevailed in 10.02.
Former Africa champion and record holder Akani Simbine from South Africa put away heat six in 10.03 beating Blake Ackeem from Jamaica to second place in 10.06.
Meanwhile, World 800metres champion Mary Moraa and national 800m champion Lilian Odira qualified for the women’s 800m semi-final at the Paris Olympic Games on Saturday.
Moraa eased off just before the finish line as Ethiopia's world indoor champion Tsige Duguma stormed from behind to dip and win heat five that was the fastest in one minute and 57.90.
Kenya's Mary Moraa in action during heat 3 of the 800m at the Stade de France on August 2, 2024.
Photo credit: Joan Pereruan | Nation Media Group
Moraa, the Commonwealth Games champion, who is making her second Summer Olympics appearance, clocked 1:57.95 as Shafiqua Maloney from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, finished third in a national record time of 1:58.23 to snatch the last automatic qualifying place.
The heat was the fastest in the preliminary round where 15 women broke the two minutes’ barrier including Odira, who ran a personal best 1:58.83 for third place in the sixth and final heat.
Another Kenyan Vivian Chebet wasn’t so lucky as she settled fifth in the third heat in 1:59.90 and will now try her last chance to qualify for the semi-finals in the Repechage on Saturday.
Worknesh Mesele from Ethiopia won the heat in 1:58.07 as world leader Keely Hodgkinson from Britain won heat four in 1:59.31.
The Repechage has four heats where the winners in each and next two fastest (q) advance to the semi-final.
