‘History maker’ - Omanyala celebrates remarkable year as he eyes further success in Budapest

© Ferdinand Omanyala Twitter

ATHLETICS ‘History maker’ - Omanyala celebrates remarkable year as he eyes further success in Budapest

Joel Omotto 18:35 - 03.08.2023

Omanyala has lauded his achievements in the last one year as he bids to become the first African to win a 100m medal at World Championships.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has lauded his achievements in the last one year as he marked the first anniversary since winning 100m gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Omanyala became the first Kenyan to claim 100m gold at the games in its 60-year history after crossing the finish line in 10.02.

"A record breaker and a history maker. One year ago, today I became the first Kenyan to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the 100m,” Omanyala posted on social media.

The win came just weeks after he failed to get past the semi-final in the 100m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon but he seems to have used the disappointment as the fuel to fire his ambitions.

Since the Commonwealth Games, Omanyala has been in top form and he is seen as one of the athletes likely to end Africa’s wait for a medal in the 100m at the 2023 World Championships set to take place in Budapest Hungary this month.

He started 2023 by winning at the ASA Grand Prix in Germiston and Pretoria, South Africa in April before claiming victory at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix.

He then set a new African record when he clocked 14.89 seconds in the 150m race to emerge third in the inaugural Atlanta City Games in Georgia, the United States in early May. The previous record of 14.99 seconds had been set by Namibian sprinter Frankie Fredericks in 1993.

Omanyala followed it up with a win at the Kip Keino Classic on May 13 before embarking on the Diamond League where he finished third in Rabat, back-to-back second-place finishes in Florence and Paris, and recorded his first win in Monaco last month.

The 27-year-old has remained confident that he will win the World Championships, or get at least a medal, and he is up against a strong field that includes defending champion Fred Kerley of the United States, his compatriot and two-time 200m world champion Noah Lyles, Akani Simbine (South Africa) and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana among others.