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Africa’s fastest man will be tested to the limit as he is set to take on the world and Olympics champions in back-to-back Diamond League meetings.
Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala will come up against a star-studded cast yet again at the Florence Diamond League in Italy on Friday, June 2.
Omanyala, who is the fastest man in the world over 100m so far this year following his 9.84 at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi last weekend, will line up alongside the likes of world champion Fred Kerley and Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs in the men's 100m.
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05:30 - 15.05.2023
ATHLETICS How Omanyala and co divided Kip Keino Classic millions
Safaricom is paying an extra Ksh250,000 for every record broken.
The star-studded headline event will also feature reigning Diamond League champion Trayvon Bromell and fellow Americans Erriyon Knighton and Kenny Bednarek. That will come just days after the runners have faced off in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday, May 28.
Omanyala lived up to the billing at Kasarani Stadium as he won ahead of Bednarek (9.98) and Marvin Bracy-Williams (10.03) to send a warning to his rivals.
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10:15 - 14.05.2023
ATHLETICS Africa's fastest man Omanyala sets bar high after Kip Keino Classic dominant exploits
During the continental event held at the Moi International Sports Center in Kasarani, Omanyala beat a strong field to win the race in a world lead time of 9.84.
While he did not manage to break his African record of 9.77 as promised, the 26-year-old will be encouraged to have run his first official sub-10 of the season as his time was certified as a world lead.
Omanyala shrugged off competition from Bednarek and Bracy-Williams to claim victory with some distance to announce his intentions of going for a medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in Hungary.
He will, therefore, head to Florence with a spring in his step even if the field also involves Kerley, whose personal best is 9.84, recorded in 2021 when he won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, and home favourite Jacobs, who won the race in 9.80.
There will also be American and world bronze medalist Trayvon Bromell, whose personal best is 9.80 clocked in the US Olympics trials in 2021, as well as former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica, who ran 9.92 to win gold at the 2011 World Championships, and South African Akani Simbine.
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17:19 - 13.05.2023
Ferdinand Omanyala shuts doubters up, blazes to world lead at Kip Keino Classic
Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala shut his doubters up at the Kip Keino Classic, by defeating Kenny Bendarek and Marvin Bracy in front of his home crowd.
Simbine is a man Omanyala knows too well, having beaten him to win the African title in Port Louis, Mauritius last year.
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