Ferdinand Omanyala adds another 100m title before Paris Olympics 2024 clash with Noah Lyles

Modified Jul 07, 2024 21:49 GMT

Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala recently showcased a dominant victory in the men’s 100m event at the 2024 FBK Games held in Hengelo, the Netherlands, on Sunday, July 7. At the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, he topped the field with a time of 10.01s to finish ahead of the USA’s Ronnie Baker (10.03s) and the 200m Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Andre de Grasse (10.07s).

The 2022 Commonwealth Games champion Omanyala will soon be in action in the 100m at the Paris Olympics, as he has been named in Kenya's athletics squad for the quadrennial games. There, he is set to compete against the likes of Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Kishane Thompson, Fred Kerley, Marcell Jacobs, and Ackeem Blake, among other prominent names.

Track & Field Gazette reported Omanyala's victory in the 100m at the FBK Games, sharing it on their X (formerly Twitter) handle.

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Omanyala secured his berth for the Paris Olympics following a comprehensive win at the National Olympic Trials on June 15, where he clocked the second-quickest timing of the 2024 season (9.79s). The 28-year-old impressed at the trials as he finished well ahead of his competitors, with second-placed Mark Otieno Odhiambo clocking a time of 10.12 seconds.

Only Kishane Thompson has clocked a faster time than Omanyala so far in this season, which he achieved during his impressive performance at the Jamaican Championships, clocking 9.77s.

Besides competing at the FBK Games and Kenyan National Olympic Trials in the 100m, Omanyala also featured at the Kip Keino Classic, Prefontaine Classic, and Racers Grand Prix in 2024. He opened his season on home soil at the Kip Keino Classic, where he finished fifth, clocking a 10.03s.

However, he bounced back stronger at the Prefontaine Classic, where he stood second by finishing in 9.98s, only behind the United States’ Christian Coleman who clocked 9.95s. At the Racers Grand Prix, Omanyala (10.02s) was edged out by Oblique Seville (9.82s) and Noah Lyles (9.85s).

A look into Ferdinand Omanyala’s performance at Tokyo Olympics

Ferdinand Omanyala reacts after competing in the Men's 100m Round 1 heats at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Ferdinand Omanyala made his first Olympic appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men’s 100m. In heat 5, he placed third with a 10.01s finish to advance to the semifinals of the 100m event.

Despite achieving a national record time of 10.00 seconds, he missed out on qualifying for the finals of the 100m event as only the top two athletes could book their positions from semifinal 1. He finished third in the semi-final, behind Fred Kerley (9.96s) and Andre de Grasse (9.98s).

Having qualified for his second Olympic Games in Paris, Ferdinand Omanyala will be aiming to return from the quadrennial Games with a podium finish in the men’s 100m event.