African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala will be heading to Europe for a series of Diamond League races after a lukewarm outing at the World Athletics Relays Championships last weekend in Botswana.
Omanyala, who returned to South Africa to step up his training after the World Relays, said on Tuesday he will release the races he will participate in in Europe in the next few days.
“I am stepping up my preparations in South Africa with my manager (Marcel Viljoen) as we consult on how to tackle the season,” said Omanyala on the phone from Johannesburg.
His coach, Duncan Ayiemba said: “His training mentally has improved. He thought training had become difficult but he has overcome that with positive thinking.”
Ayiemba revealed that Omanyala will compete in one World Athletics Continental Tour event in May in Europe before turning his focus on the Diamond League. “We want to hit sub-9.8 so as to be competitive on the big stage,” said Ayiemba.
Europe will always hold good memories for Omanyala, where some of his historic runs took place.
It’s in Brussels on September 1, 2021, where Omanyala made his Diamond League debut, finishing fourth in the 100m in 10.02 seconds, as American Fred Kerley won the race in 9.94.
Omanyala then settled for third place behind Kerley and Simbine on his second appearance at a Diamond league meet, in Rabat on May 28, 2023.
Four days later in the Florence Diamond League in Italy, Omanyala finished second place in Florence Diamond League, behind Kerley again.
The 30-year-old, who owns a personal best time of 9.77 would make history as the first Kenyan to win 100m in the Diamond League with victory in Monaco on July 21.
Ferdinand Omanyala charges past Brandon Hicklin in 100m men finishing line during World Continental Gold Tour Kipkeino Classic on April 24, 2026 at Nyayo National Stadium.
Omanyala’s last Diamond League was in Rome on June 6, last year, where he finished third in 10.01 behind American Trayvon Bromell (9.84) and Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (9.99).
He withdrew from the Diamond League grand finale with a hip injury.
“2023 remains my best season so far with 12 sub-10-second performances. I did well in Europe and I am looking forward to racing there again,” said Omanyala. “The process to regain that form is underway with my three sub-10s for the first time in 20 months this season. The signs are good.”
Omanyala won the Addis Ababa Grand Prix in 9.98 on April 18 and the Kip Keino Classic in 9.96 on April 24 before settling for third place at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 26 in 9.95 behind Canadians Jerome Blake (993) and Andre De Grasse (9.95).
Omanyala noted that it would take more training camps for aspiring sprinters if the country is to improve in relays at the international level.
Ferdinand Omanyala reacts after finishing a men’s 100m race during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at Stade de France on August 03, 2024.
“I don’t think coaching is a major issue. Every individual needs to put in more work since relays are a team effort,” said Omanyala.
Omanyala parted ways with Ayiemba after the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and engaged Geoffrey Kimani, a former sprinter.
However, following lukewarm performance under Kimani, Kenya’s fastest runner ended their association and reunited with Ayiemba in September last year. Ayiemba was Omanyala’s first coach during his formative season in 2015/2016.
Omanyala became the second Kenyan and third African to win the Commonwealth Games 100m, at the 2022 Birmingham.
The former rugby player will be looking to retain his Commonwealth crown in Glasgow in July/August.
Kenyan Seraphino Antao was the first African to claim the 100-yard dash, the precursor of the 100m, at the 1962 Perth, Australia, Games.
It would take 56 years for Africa to recapture the title when Akani Simbine won at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, in Australia, as his compatriot Henricho Bruintjies finished second.