Africa-Press – Kenya. Kip Keino Classic meet director Barnaba Korir expects fireworks from Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala on Friday, tipping the sprint king to deliver a commanding performance following his dominant run in Addis Ababa last weekend.
On April 18, Omanyala lined up for his second 100m outing of the season at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix, blasting to victory in 9.98, his first sub-10-second clocking since August 2024.
That explosive run saw him power past Christopher Borzor (10.16) and Chituru Ali (10.26). The African record holder opened his campaign on April 10 at the Cape Miller Continental Tour in South Africa, where he surged to victory in 10.19, signaling early-season intent.
Following his Ethiopian statement, Korir believes fans are in for another electrifying dash from the 2022 Commonwealth Games 100m champion. “For the first time in almost two years, Omanyala managed to dip under 10 seconds and he looked really sharp,” Korir said.
“I am sure we are going to see fireworks from him this Friday. He is ready.
”Omanyala has grown into the marquee attraction of the Kip Keino Classic since bursting onto the scene in 2021. On debut, he scorched to a stunning 9.77 African record to finish second behind American Trayvon Bromell (9.76).
Omanyala returned in 2022 with authority, storming to victory in 9.85 ahead of American heavyweights Fred Kerley (9.92) and Isaiah Young (10.13). He successfully defended his crown the following year in 9.84, once again holding off a strong American charge led by Kenneth Bednarek (9.98) and Marvin Bracy-Williams (10.03).
However, recent editions have posed sterner tests for the 30-year-old, with a fifth-place finish in 2024 (10.03) and third place last year (10.07). Korir revealed that former national record holder Mark Otieno will line up alongside Omanyala.
“We had one slot remaining in the 100m, but the athlete we were expecting will not be coming, so we decided to hand that opportunity to one of our own, Mark Otieno,” he explained.
Korir added that Otieno’s performance in Addis Ababa, where he finished fourth in 10.27, did not go unnoticed. “I saw how he ran in Ethiopia. He is really improving and we want to see him dip under 10 seconds on home soil,’ Korir said.
The National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) first vice president also pointed to the steady rise of sprinting in the country, a discipline traditionally overshadowed by distance running.
“Sprints are not popular in Kenya, but that is now changing. We want to grow sprinting and make it a key discipline in all our major events,” Korir noted.
Omanyala and Otieno will square off against a formidable international cast led by Canada’s 2018 Commonwealth 200m silver medallist Aaron Brown. Also in the mix are American speedsters Brandon Hicklin, Sam Blaskowski and Pjai Austin, alongside South Africa’s Rivaldo Roberts and Gift Leotlela.
