This season, the duo first clashed at the Atlanta City Games.
World 200m champion Noah Lyles has revealed that he loves the energy of Ferdinand Omanyala when it comes to making the crowds alive.
Lyles revealed that he loves being around people who are charismatic and he is impressed by how the Commonwealth Games champion manages to spread positivity with ease.
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The Commonwealth Games champion has been intensifying his training ahead of a third straight Diamond League showdown with the world champion.
“He runs really well…he also has the charismatic energy that gets the crowd excited. I always love to see somebody who can get the crowd excited. However, we have never interacted on a personal level,” Lyles told Nation.
This season, the duo first clashed at the Atlanta City Games where Lyles took top honors in the men’s 150m race, as Erriyon Knighton took second, forcing Omanyala to settle for third place.
Lyles clocked 14.56, to become the third-fastest man in the world over the distance behind Usain Bolt (14.35) and Tyson Gay (14.41). Omanyala clocked 14.89, making him the fastest African over the distance.
Their recent clash was at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris where Lyles also won the race as Omanyala placed second. The American clocked 9.97 ahead of Omanyala who crossed the line in 9.98.
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Omanyala returned to the Diamond League Meetings this year since 2021 where he competed at the Meeting in Brussels and finished fourth.
Meanwhile, the Olympic 200m bronze medallist also hinted at competing in Kenya, probably the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Gold tour. “Maybe I might come…we shall talk about it in the future,” he said.