Ferdinand Omanyala wins the Commonwealth Games 100m title. PHOTO/Team Kenya
Omanyala won two titles in the 2022 season
His highlight was the Commonwealth Games title
He hopes to win the world title in 2023
Ferdinand Omanyala has outlined 2022 as the best season ever in his career, but believes there is more to come next season, as he begins his short holiday and starts planning for a new campaign.
Omanyala enjoyed impeccable success in 2022, his highest moment being the Commonwealth Games victory in Birmingham. He became the first Kenyan in 60 years to win a sprint medal at the Club Games when he scorched to victory beyond South Africa’s Akani Simbine at the Alexander Stadium.
Apart from that, he won two tiles at the Africa Championships, clinching the 100m title, again beating Simbine, as well as anchoring the 4x100m relay team to another gold medal.
“I can say 2022 has been my best season ever because we achieved so many things that we had outlined to do. Winning the two titles plus of course the Kip Keino Classic are some of the highest moments of my season,” Omanyala says.
He added; “When the season started, we had set out to win three titles. We won two, but I am pleased. I am happier because I had the African record but never had the African title. Now I have both of them and for me this is success.”
Kip Keino Classic conquest
Ferdinand Omanyala powers to second place in the men’s 100m
Omanyala’s star began to shine at the end of last season when he finished second at the Kip Keino Classic, but he ran an African record time of 9.77seconds. From then on he began to shine in his career and went on to win the African title in Mauritius.
The only blemish to his season was the World Championships where he reached the semis, but it was due to late arrival in Eugene, Oregon, where he got to the track just two hours after arrival.
“I was disappointed of course, but it was beyond my control. Sometimes you get the lessons and move on and that is what I did. I know if I was there earlier I could have done better, but no regrets over what happened,” he added.
He says his primary target now is to get as much rest as possible after a long season. “I have run a lot of races this season, almost 47 and I want to take some good rest. The focus now is next season because at least there are not so many races,” he says.
His primary target next season is the World Championships which will be staged in Budapest, Hungary and he hopes to battle for a medal.
Unstoppable next season
Ferdinand Omanyala wins the men’s 100m at the AK National Trials
With more time to rest, recover and train as his first race is in March, Omanyala believes he will be unstoppable.
He says; “Last season I didn’t have a lot of time to train because of the World Indoors. Now my first race will be in March or thereabout and my pre-season starts in November. This will be enough time for me to work on improving.”
Apart from the Worlds, Omanyala also hopes to battle for the Diamond League Trophy, as he anticipates to make his debut next season.
He has also disclosed that he will be putting up a pre-season training camp in Italy.
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