Monaco Diamond League Meeting will be the final stop for Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, before he competes in the August 19-27 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
At the same time, the 27-year-old sprinter who holds the African record over 100 metres of 9.77 seconds has said his performance in the national trials held on Friday and Saturday at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi has convinced him that he is closer than ever to achieving his target of running the 100m race in 9.6 seconds.
With just 39 days left to go before the the global track and field championship in Budapest, Commonwealth Games champion Omanyala has projected the image of an athlete eager to atone for his underwhelming performance in last year’s championship held in Oregon, USA.
His travel plans thrown into disarray after visa delays in Nairobi, Omanyala arrived in Oregon just hours before his 100m heat. He failed to reach the 100m final, having finished fifth in his semi-final heat in 10.14 seconds.
The July 21 Monaco Diamond League offers Omanyala a final chance to test himself against world-class opposition before the global track and field championship a month later.
In his own words, he is better prepared to compete in next month’s world championships than he was last year.
“I have put in a lot of work in training in the last three weeks, and running 9.85 seconds today is a bit of a surprise because we weren’t expecting that. It means the target of running 9.6 (seconds) is closer,” Omanyala, who ran 10.02 seconds to win the Commonwealth Games 100m title last year in Birmingham, said on Saturday moments after winning men’s 100m final at the national trials held at Nyayo National Stadium.
“I competed here just to gauge my form, and I am happy with what I have seen. My next stop is the Monaco Diamond League,” the sprinter, who has already qualified to compete at the world championships by virtue of being the Commonwealth Games champion, said.
Athletics Kenya Executive Committee member Barnaba Korir delighted in Omanyala’s performance on the day.
“He (Omanyala) is one of our medal hopefuls in Budapest, and we are happy with his progress so far,” Korir said.
Omanyala reckons he has joined the elite club of sprinters and can handle pressure that comes with competing in the blue-riband race.
“I am also one of the big boys now, so I am just going to do what I have been doing before. I have been in the Diamond League Series and taken on the same people I am going to compete against in Budapest,” Omanyala said.
“I have seen some have already otped out of the world championships. We are going for nothing but gold,” Omanyala said.
Omanyala’s slower take-off and acceleration has worked against him in past competitions but he reckons he has refined his run in the first 50m of the race and will not be at a disadvantage in Budapest.
“I have won a couple of 60-meter races this year, which means that my take-off has improved. I can now pick up speed early in the race, which is good,” he said.
On February 9, Omanyala won men’s 60m race in Mondeville Meeting in France in a time of 6.55sec. On February 15, Omanyala ran 6.54 seconds to win men’s 60m race at Lievin World Indoor Tour meet in France ahead of Olympics 100m champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy.
The world record holder over 5,000m and 1,500m, Faith Kipyegon, will also compete in Monaco.
The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising 14 of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meeting competitions. The inaugural season was in 2010. On July 21, Monaco will host the ninth leg of the current series.
From Monaco, Omanyala and Kipyegon will join Team Kenya camp for residential training at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. The 57-man team which was named on Saturday after the national trials enters training this week.
