Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala clocked a 9.96 100-metre sprint Saturday to defend his national title. Meshack Babu and Hesbon Ochieng finished second and third in 10.50 and 10.58, respectively. In terms of perspective for the audience, it wasn’t even close.
The athletes ran into a 2.4 headwind.
Omanyala is expected to race next in the Diamond League in Monaco on Jul 21 and in Budapest at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in August.
Ferdinand Omanyala 🇰🇪 wins the Kenyan men's 100m title in Nyayo with a time of 9.97s!
— Oluwadare (@Track_Gazette) June 24, 2023
Another runaway victory.💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/4EdsueQI4Y
The 27-year-old, who represents the Kenyan Police, owns a best of 9.77 from Moi Stadium in Nairobi. It is the Kenyan and African record.
In the women’s race, Esther Mbagari, won the sprint double when she recorded an 11.68-second performance to win the women’s 100m, shortly after winning her first 200m title. The 22-year-old set new personal bests in 2023 including the 100m sprint in the time of 11.68 and running the 200m in 20.14 both in April.
Jacent Nyamahunge took second in 11.81 and finishing third was Rukia Nusra in 11.82.
Omanyala has yet to get past the semi-finals in the Olympic Games or World Athletics Championships. However, he does have a gold medal from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. He is the first Kenyan sprinter to win a medal in the event in 60 years.
Omanyala served a 14-month doping ban for testing positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone. Corticosteroids are the most common performance-enhancing drug applied for in therapeutic use exemptions.
