‘Budapest road now clear’ – Omanyala declares ahead of World Athletics Championship
By Joel Sang, July 30, 2023National 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala has exuded confidence ahead of the 2023 World Athletics Championship scheduled for Budapest between August 19 and 27.
The 27-year-old, who is also the Commonwealth Games champion, took part in the Josko Lauf Meet in Austria on Saturday, July 29, which is his final race before the Budapest Championship.
He emerged second in the Josko Lauf Meet but remained confident of a far better performance in the August showpiece.
Omanyala confident
“10.08 and 10.07 yesterday [Saturday] in Austria. In everything, we give thanks. All the races before the world championships are done. The road to Budapest is now clear. Trusting the process,” Omanyala, the national record holder, said in a statement.
He was second behind Great Britain’s Eugene Amo-Dadzie, who clocked 10.04, with the Kenyan sprint sensation running in 10.07, while Khalfani Muhammad of Puerto Rico was third in 10.51.
This year, Omanyala has been in rather scintillating form, especially since he started his international outdoor tour. The tour started with two races in South Africa before taking part in the Botswana Golden Grand Prix. At the Grand Prix, he stood out as he posted 9.78 in the 100m.
After shinning in the Southern African nation, he took part in the Kip Keino Classic and recorded another star in his career; a world-leading time of 9.84 was registered by the sprinter.
His Diamond League participation started at the Rabat Circuit in Morocco, but he was third before he proceeded to the Florence and Paris circuits and was second on both occasions.
After the three circuits, the National Championship and the World Championship national trials came, and Omanyala did not disappoint as he was a dominant force in both competitions.
Despite a hectic schedule, the 27-year-old superstar featured in the Monaco Diamond League series and went into history by becoming the first Kenyan to win the 100m at a Diamond League Meeting.
Focus on Budapest
Omanyala’s focus is now on the World Athletics Championship, and ahead of the global bonanza, he made a grand promise that he will deliver at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“I’m excited about the Olympic Games next year; I remember in 2021 we really struggled to qualify for the Olympics. We qualified at the last minute. However, this year I’ve already qualified, and I’m really happy about that. We are winning that gold. I’ve said that before, and I’ll say it again. I’m really looking forward to that.
“Now I’m not coming in as a participant but as a competitor. I’m not going in as someone who is going to fill in the lanes,” a buoyant Omanyala stated as he looked beyond.
Should he win a medal at the World Championship, he will become the first African to win a medal on the global stage.