Omanyala to link up with team mates in Budapest
Kenya’s Africa 100 metres record holder Ferdinand Omanyala trains in Miramas, France, on July 24 as part of his build-up to the World Athletics Championships and 2024 Olympic Games. Miramas will also host Team Kenya’s training camp for the 2024 Olympic Games.
What you need to know:
- Team manager Rono Bunei said both the men’s 4x400m relay and 4x400m mixed relay, the women’s 10,000m, the women’s 1,500m , and men’s 3,000m steeplechase teams were due to fly out last night.
- The next batch of Team Kenya athletes will leave for Budapest tonight, followed by the rest of the track athletes, including the women’s 800m team led by Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa, and 2015 world javelin champion Julius Yego on Thursday.
Commonwealth Games and Africa 100 metres champion Ferdinand Omanyala has asked fans to pray for Team Kenya athletes who will compete in the World Athletics Championships from Saturday at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary
Omanyala, who has been training in France, will land in Budapest at noon, hoping to make history as the first African to win a world championship medal in 100m.
“I am going to Budapest in good shape, having had the best preparation ever,” Omanyala said, adding that training in Miramas in southern France for more than two weeks has been of great help to him.
“I really needed to acclimatise and for sure I feel much lighter and the body is moving a lot more with ease than when I landed here in Europe,” said Omanyala, the Africa 100m record holder, who is making his second appearance at the world event after last year in Oregon, United States of America (USA).
However, the Africa Athletics Under-20 Championships 800m gold medallist Peninah Mutisya was the first Kenyan athlete to arrive in Budapest for the championships yesterday.
The 19-year-old Mutisya, who left the country on Sunday, checked into Team Kenya base early because she was due to attend a visa interview at the United States of America Embassy in Budapest yesterday.
The youngster from Nakuru is hoping to join college in Kentucky, USA.
The men’s 1,500m duo of world indoor 1,500m bronze medallist Abel Kipsang, and world under-20 1,500m champion Reynold Kipkorir were the next to leave the country yesterday evening.
They will be followed by 2019 world 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot, and a sizable number of athletes who were due to leave later last night. One group of athletes will take a Qatar Airways flight via Doha, while another will take a Lufthansa Airlines flight via Frankfurt before connecting to Budapest.
All these athletes are expected in Budapest between 1pm and 2pm.
Team manager Rono Bunei said both the men’s 4x400m relay and 4x400m mixed relay, the women’s 10,000m, the women’s 1,500m , and men’s 3,000m steeplechase teams were due to fly out last night.
The next batch of Team Kenya athletes will leave for Budapest tonight, followed by the rest of the track athletes, including the women’s 800m team led by Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa, and 2015 world javelin champion Julius Yego on Thursday.
