NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 3 – Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala blazed into his first ever global final, cruising to victory in his heat to book a date in the finale of the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom on Wednesday night.
The Kenyan sprint king made it fourth time lucky, winning his heat in a fast time of 10.02secs.
He reached the semis of the Tokyo Olympic Games, World Indoor Championships and the Senior Outdoor Championships in Oregon last month and has now announced himself in a first global major final.
Omanyala startled a bit off the blocks, careful not to blow the gun on a false start, but he used his immense burst in the second 50 of the race to win with a good gap between him and the second placed athlete.
Cameroonian Emmanuel Eseme was second in 10.14secs, booking the second automatic qualification slot.
The second Kenyan in the semi Samuel Imeta finished fifth in the third semi-final, clocking 10.24secs.
In the final scheduled for later Wednesday night, Omanyala will box off with defending champion Akani Simbine who he has beaten twice already this season.
Simbine won the first semi-final in a time of 10.07secs. Also making the final is Sri Lankan Yupun Abeykoon who beat Omanyala at a race in Germany. He progressed to teh final as a non-automatic qualifier after timing 10.20secs in the third semi.
Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake (10.13), Emmanuel Eseme (10.14), Jeremiah Azu (10.15) Rohan Browning (10.17) and Ghanaian Benjamin Azamati (10.18) will make the eight athletes lining up for the final.
