Africa 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala has declared that he aims to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships and a top podium finish at the Commonwealth Games. 

The World Athletics Championships will be held from July 15 to 24 in Oregon, United States while the ‘Club Games’ have been earmarked from July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England. 

Speaking after a successful outing at the 2022 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Reduit, Mauritius, Omanyala said with the two gold medals he won, a lot of weight has been lifted off his shoulders. 

“To become an African champion, is having my dream coming true, this is the moment I have dreamt of,” said Omanyala. 

“The double gold in Mauritius, which are my first ever has unleashed the caged animal in me, expect a different Ferdie in Oregon and Birmingham,” he said. 

Unlike in Oregon where he expects stiff competition, his projection of Birmingham, the international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth nations is quite high. 

“I beat Akani Simbine of South Africa in Mauritius; I want to officially succeed him in Birmingham. I’m not saying he is not a top lad; he is good just as he reminded us last week, but I have proved I can beat him, now I want his other title,” said Omanyala who anchored the 4x100m Kenyan team to a historic gold win in Reduit. 

World’s lead time

 Omanyala who still holds the world’s lead time of 9.85 seconds he dipped at the Kip Keino Classic said that he want to clock 9.60 seconds in Oregon.

Despite missing on his other target of a triple gold harvest after he missed out on the 200m final, he said there wasn’t pressure on the 200m. 

“The 200m is all about technicalities and I think I was fatigued after running six races already in the 100m and the 4x100m. But there are no excuses. My main race is the 100m and that is what I am carrying on,” Omanyala said. 

In Oregon, he expects warm weather which he observed that it is good for sprints. He thus said that the competition will be fine adding that he can still thrive under pressure. 

“Right now, the focus is just on the trials. Maybe I will run one more international race in the Diamond League or Continental Tour. But in July, I will not be doing any competition, I will just be training for the World Championships,” said Omanyala. 

Equally, the 26-year-old has urged the government and Athletics Kenya to invest in a sprints camp to tap the immense sprinting talent in the country that is yet to be noticed.