Ferdinand Omanyala

Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa (born 2 January 1996) is a Kenyan sprinter competing in the 60 metres, 100 m and 200 m. In 2022, he won his first international championships, with victories in the 100 m at the Commonwealth Games, and African Championships in Athletics. Omanyala is the African record holder and the ninth-fastest man of all time in the event after clocking a time of 9.77 seconds on 18 September 2021 in Nairobi. He also holds Kenyan national record in the 60 m.

Ferdinand Omanyala
Omanyala at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene
Personal information
Full nameFerdinand Omanyala Omurwa
Born (1996-01-02) 2 January 1996
Kitale, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya[1]
EducationFriends School Kamusinga
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight83 kg (183 lb)
Sport
CountryKenya
SportAthletics
Event(s)60 m, 100 m, 200 m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  KEN
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2022 Birmingham100 m
African Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 Mauritius100 m
Gold medal – first place2022 Mauritius4×100 m relay

Early life

Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa was born in Hamisi as the third son of Dishon and Adelaide Omurwa, though the family settled in Tongaren soon afterwards.[2]

Career

In 2015, Omanyala began his athletics career in Kenya as a chemistry student the University of Nairobi.[2] He made this move after a friend noticed his speed while he was playing rugby. He made the switch from rugby to track and only a few weeks later he ran a time of 10.4 s in his first AK meet in Kakamega. The same year, he won the national Olympics trials over the 100 m distance in a time of 10.37 s but never met the qualifying standard for the Olympics which was 10.16 s at the time.

Following a doping offence in 2017 Omanyala received a 14-month suspension. He tested positive for the prohibited substance betamethasone, after undergoing treatment for his back injury which he got during training.[3][4]

Omanyala won the national title in the 100 metres in 2019.

On 30 March 2021, he set a national record of 10.01 seconds in the 100 m in winning a meeting at Yabatech Sport Complex in Lagos, Nigeria.[5] At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 100 metres semi-final in August that year, he set a new national record of 10.00 seconds.[6] Omanyala was 0.04 s behind eventual silver medalist Fred Kerley and 0.02 s behind eventual bronze medalist Andre De Grasse. The same month, he ran a new personal best of 9.86 seconds in Austria, becoming the first Kenyan to ever break the 10-second barrier.[7] In September, he ran a 9.77 seconds (+1.2 m/s) for a new African record at the Absa Kip Keino Classic held in Nairobi, Kenya coming in a close second place behind Trayvon Bromell, who ran a world leading 9.76 s.[8]

In June 2022, Omanyala became African 100 m champion before he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon in July, after arriving at the event only a couple of hours before his first round heat due to visa problems. In August, he claimed Kenya's first gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Kenyan to win gold in the 100-metre race in 60 years.[9]

Personal life

Omanyala is married to Laventa Amutavi and they have a son.[2] His official sponsors are Odibets, a Kenyan sports betting company.[10]

Achievements

International competitions
Representing  Kenya
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
2017 World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 7th 4 × 200 m relay 1:23.04 SB1
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 8th (sf) 100 m 10.00 NR
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 13th (sf) 60 m i 6.64
African Championships Saint Pierre, Mauritius 1st 100 m 9.93
30th (h) 200 m 21.16
1st 4 × 100 m relay 39.28 NR
World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 13th (sf) 100 m 10.14
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st 100 m 10.02
– 4 × 100 m relay DNF
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 7th 100 m 10.07

1Time from the heats; Omanyala was replaced in the final.

National titles

References
  1. Onyatta, Omondi (22 August 2022). "Omanyala out to enjoy self in Switzerland, Germany after victory-laden season". Capital Digital Media. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  2. Mwamba, James (24 September 2021). "Omanyala: From rugby to second fastest man on earth". Daily Nation. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  3. https://www.adak.or.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Reasoned-Decision-Ferdinand-Omanyala.pdf
  4. "Athletics OMURWA Ferdinand - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  5. Varore, Demba. "Athlétisme : Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa, l'exception kényane". sportnewsafrica.com.
  6. "Athletics - Semi-Final 1 Results". Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  7. Ayodi, Ayumba (14 September 2021). "Ferdinand Omanyala joins the sub 10 club, shatters own record". Daily Nation. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  8. "World Athletics Continental Tour | World Athletics".
  9. "Ferdinand Omanyala aishindia Kenya dhahabu ya kwanza michezo ya madola Birmingham". BBC News Swahili (in Swahili). 4 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  10. Timothy, Olubulu. "Kenyan Sprint Sensation Ferdinand Omanyala Lands Bumper Odibets Support". Capital FM. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
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