NAIROBI, Kenya, May 15 – Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala will make his third Diamond League appearance in Florence, Italy on June 2.
The African record holder for the men’s 100m will once again race against Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy as well as world champion Fred Kerley of the United States, almost a week after the trio come up against each other at the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco.
Omanyala is a man high on confidence, having run a world lead of 9.84 to win the men’s 100m at the past weekend’s Kip Keino Classic World Continental Tour Gold at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani.
A day to the fourth edition of this one-day meet, the African 100m champion allayed fears that he could burn out from the many races in which he is currently competing.
“This is what we have been praying for…to get as many events to compete in. So, when the chance comes, we take it…then again, we have a plan in place with the coach to ensure I don’t burn out. After the coming month in the Diamond League, I am going to spend the next month recovering ahead of the World Championships. Nonetheless, the burnout is not a problem…I mean, I competed two hours after arriving in Oregon,” he said.
Another chance to compete at World Athletics’ most prestigious competition on its calendar of one-day meets is testament of the growing global reputation and recognition of a man who ran 9.77 seconds in 2021 to smash the African record previously held by South Africa’s Akani Simbine (9.84 seconds).
Omanyala has continued with his record-breaking streak in 2023, clocking 14.89 to set a new national record for the men’s 150m at the Adidas Atlanta City Games and timing
Also in the startlist for the Florence meet is Olympics 200m silver medalist Kenneth Bednarek – who finished second to Omanyala in the past weekend – World 200m bronze medalist Erriyon Knighton, World Under 20 champion Letsile Tebogo and reigning Diamond League champion Trayvon Bromell.
