Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has sailed through to the 100 meters semi-finals at the Paris Olympic Games.
This is after he won the men’s heat 2 in a thrilling run on Saturday, August 3, 2024.
Omanyala clocks 10.08
Omanyala eased to the finish line, clocking an impressive 10.08 seconds.
😛 Smooooothhhh Speedstar!😮💨@Ferdiomanyala leads Heat 2 with a 10.08 to qualify for the Paris Olympics 100m Semi-Finals.
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) August 3, 2024
See you tomorrow, on track!🇰🇪#TeamKenya#HesabikaNaMabingwa pic.twitter.com/VdlDsp3Hy4
The Kenyan sprinter outsmarted Italy’s Chituru Ali, Germany’s Joshua Hartmann and Devin Augustine among other formidable opponents.
Chituru came in second at 10.12 while Joshua Hartman completed the podium in a stunning 10.16 seconds.
SPEEEEED DAYY!!🇰🇪🇰🇪@Ferdiomanyala #TeamKenya#HesabikaNaMabingwa pic.twitter.com/ir7QoVXTVd
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) August 3, 2024
Speaking after winning heat 2, Omanyala said he was happy that he had run a good race, and said that he still has something to prove to Kenyans during the semi-finals that will be held on Sunday, August 4, 2024,
“I’m happy that I have run a good race- I don’t feel the pressure, I trained for three years and finished my training in Miramas- Paris is all about enjoying my race and proving all my hard work, I waited for three years for tomorrow’s race, I have something to prove to my Kenyan people,” Omanyala stated after the race.
“I’m happy that I have ran a good race- I don’t feel the pressure, I trained for three years and finished my training in Miramas- Paris is all about enjoying my race and proving all my hard work, I waited for three years for tomorrow’s race, I have something to prove to my Kenyan… pic.twitter.com/ZKecV38931
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) August 3, 2024
After acing the race and punching into the men’s 100m semi-finals at the Paris Olympic Games, Omanyala is expected to return to the track to battle it out with Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, Noah Lyles of US among others.
Thompson ran a 10.00 to win the first heat of the opening round of the men’s 100 meters.
Omanyala hopeful of winning medal
Omanyala had earlier revealed his hopes of bagging an Olympic Games medal in Paris.
Given that he has broken a number of records and went past some hurdles that appeared too big in his career, Omanyala believes that winning a title in Paris is now in the offing.
“Everyone going into that race will want that medal, and at the end of the day, it will be all about who the healthiest will be and who will be mentally stable. I’ll say myself for now, because every time I’ve been breaking the records that I’ve been setting, and I have been getting better with each race.
“Every day I look in the mirror and see a different person from eight years ago. I’d say that has been an inspiration,” Omannyala told CGTN Sports ahead of the Olympic Games.
For these and more credible stories, join our revamped Telegram and WhatsApp channels.
Telegram: https://t.me/peopledailydigital
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va698juDOQIToHyu1p2z
