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Kenyan runner Ferdinand Omanyala continued his winning streak after winning the Men’s 100M race in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
10.02’s the Mark
Omanyala won gold with a time of 10.02 seconds and again beat South African rival Akani Simbine. Simbine came in second with a time of 10.13 seconds to take silver, followed by Sri Lanka’s Yupun Abeykoon who clocked 10.14 seconds to bag bronze. When asked about his rivalry with Simbine, Omanyala had this to say “Simbine has never beaten me so he couldn’t have done it today. It’s such a blessing. He is a good rival”.
Second Time’s the Charm
Ferdinand Omanyala becomes the second Kenyan ever to win the Men’s 100M final in the Commonwealth Games, breaking a six-decade deadlock. Omanyala’s triumph came just after misfortune in the just-concluded World Athletic Championships in Oregon, USA where Omanyala almost missed out on the 100M heats due to a visa delay.
Corruption as the Kenyan Sports Ministry Sneaks 32 Joyriders to Oregon, USA’s World Athletics Championships
Omanyala missed out on a visa to Oregon last month after corrupt Kenyan officials at the ministry of sports snuck in 32 joyriders to the games. Insiders say that the original list of players and team managers headed to the World Athletics Championships was bloated. On noticing the discrepancy, the US Embassy in Nairobi declined to offer additional visas.
Relief as Omanyala and Others Finally Got their Visas
Fortunately, the embassy and government came to an agreement, and the athletes and teams left behind, including Ferdinand Omanyala, got their travel documents at the last minute. Omanyala got to Oregon just a few hours before the 100M race started and was exhausted, leading up to his dropping out at the Semi-Finals after coming fifth.
Reaching for the Stars
The Commonwealth win is a big boost for Ferdinand Omanyala as he now sets his sights on next season’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and ultimately the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. Omanyala will also compete in the 4 x 100M relay where he hopes to lead his team to victory.
