- This was Omanyala’s first race since the Commonwealth Games
- He finished second behind American Marvin Bracy
- He now switches his attention to Germany
African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala timed 10.18secs to finish second at the Spitzen Leichtathletik, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver race in the city of Lucerne, Switzerland.
Omanyala lost marginally to American Marvin Bracy, the World Championship silver medalist. He timed 10.17secs in chilly conditions in Switzerland.
It was a tough outing for athletes in the meet as they had to contend with slight showers all evening and very chilly weather, with the 100m recording a wind resistance of -1.7. It proved to be a tough ask for fast times, and Omanyala ran his second slowest 100m race of the season.
He was off to a slightly laboured start off the blocks, but he burst his traditional strong second half, but couldn’t outkick the American who had a slightly stronger last step. Jamaican Ackeem Blake wrapped up the podium, clocking 10.22seconds for third place.
Japanese Abdul Hakeem Sani Brown clocked 10.29seconds to finish in fourth place.
After Switzerland, Omanyala now shifts his attention to Germany where he will compete in the ISTAF 2022 in Berlin, also a Continental Tour Silver race before winding up his season in Croatia with the Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića Gold Tour event.
Good race in difficult conditions
“It was a good race though under very difficult conditions and now I am looking forward for a bit of rest and recovery before focusing on the next event,” said Omanyala.
The Kenyan sprint sensation is finishing up his successful season and says he is under no pressure, just focusing on enjoying himself and raking up a good pay day.
“I have already achieved what I wanted this season, which was to go for Championship medals. I won the African title and the Commonwealth Games and I was also pleased with my performance at the World Championships. So everything I had purposed to achieve this season is done,” Omanyala said.
At the ISTAF 2022 in berlin, he expects even tougher conditions but is hopeful the conditions will be better for him to post a better time. His fastest time this season is 9.85secs, which he posted while winning the Kip Keino Classic, a Continental Tour gold event earlier in the year.
He has a personal best of 9.77secs, posted at the same event last year. This mark is also the African record. In the next two races, Omanyala believes that if he gets the right conditions, he has the ability to try and lower his own lifetime mark.
Sha’Carri beats Thompson-Herah
Meanwhile in Lucerne, Jamaican sprint queen Elaine Thompson Herah was stunned by returning American Sha’Carri Richardson in the corresponding women’s 100m race.
Richardson missed the World Championships and was returning to action for the first time since the American trials. She put up a good burst in the second half of the race, clocking 11.29secs, beating the Jamaican by a hundredth of a second.
Fellow American Calera Barnes was third in 11.40secs while home girl Mujinga Kambundji was a disappointing sixth in 11.54secs.
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