Africa’s sprint king shatters records in stellar season opener
By Dennis Mabuka, February 5, 2024
Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, launched the New Year on a remarkable note by shattering a record in his first race of the season at the Elite Indoor Track Meeting in Miramas, France, on Friday.
The 100m record holder secured the top spot in the men’s 60m, establishing a new meeting record in the dash. He dominated the semi-final, crossing the finish line in 6.62 seconds.
In the final, Omanyala clocked an impressive 6.52 seconds, clinching victory and breaking the national record previously set at 6.54 in the previous year at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in France.
The Commonwealth Games champion not only lowered the earlier meet record of 6.57 seconds but also came close to challenging the current world lead set at 6.48 seconds.
Cameroonian Eseme Emmanuel-Alobwede secured the second spot, trailing Omanyala by 0.09 seconds, while perennial competitor Arthur Cisse from Ivory Coast claimed third place with a time of 6.62 seconds.
The 28-year-old Omanyala is set to participate in his second indoor meet in the Capital Paris next weekend, part of his preparation for the World Indoor Championships scheduled for March 1 to 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
In the previous year, Omanyala achieved notable success during his indoor tour, winning three out of the four races he competed in. After a second-place finish at the Elite Indoor Track Miramas meeting, he secured victories at the Mondeville Meeting and the Meeting de Paris before concluding the tour at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais.
This year, Omanyala initiated his season at the Athletics Kenya (AK) meet held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, finishing fifth. Subsequently, he participated in another AK meet at Nyayo Stadium, where he triumphed in the 200m race, setting the fastest time.