PARIS, France, Aug 3 – Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is among 11 sprinters from the continent who have made it to Sunday’s 100m semi-final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Reacting to his heat win at Stade De France, where he clocked 10.08 secs, Omanyala said: “All these times we have set do not matter for now. What matters most is that medal that people will wear tomorrow. All these times we have run this year are null and void for now.”
The Commonwealth Champion says the major work for him was done in Miramas, and the rest is for his Paris world to explode in blistering fashion.
“That’s what the plan is all about, we are in the championship and you don’t to burn yourself out. Today was all about introducing yourself to the field, then tomorrow is where the game is. I enjoyed the race, the moment I got into that stadium I started laughing because the crowds were just amazing,” the Kenya’s history maker said.
Omanyala was remorseful for GB sprinter Jeremiah Azu who received a DQ for a false start. Azu suffered the heartbreak after his appeal was turned down.
“I hope they will take it back to where it was, like a warning after a false start. But then again, Rules are rules and we have to adhere to them,” Omanyala stated.
Other Africans in the semis are the South African trio of former Africa Record holder Akani Simbine, Shaun Maswanganyi and Benjamin Richardson, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, Nigeria’s duo of Favour Oghene and Kayinsola Ajayi, two Ghanaians Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Liberia’s Emmanuel Matadi as well as Emmanuel Eseme from Cameroon.
Ferdinand Omanyala Fact Profile
100m Men
Name: Ferdinand Omurwa Omanyala
Sport: 100m
Born: January 2, 1996
Weight: 86kgs
Height: 5.9ft
Personal best
60m: 6.51 (Paris 2024)
100m: 9.77 (Nairobi 2021)
200m: 20.33 (Nairobi 2022)
400m: 49.06 (Nairobi 2024)
4x100m Relay: 38.61 (Nairobi 2024)
4x200m Relay: 1:23.04 (Nassau 2017)
Semifinalist at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo