Commonwealth and Africa 100 m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala set two world-leading times during the just concluded Athletics Kenya meeting at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The National Police Service officer set a new lead of 9.81 to erase the 9.86 times he set on Friday at the same venue.
On his way to being crowned the champion, Omanyala beat Samuel Imeta to second place in 9.94 seconds and South Africa’s Henricho Brhintes to third in 10.22.
Imeta posted a personal best of 9.94sec to settle for second and qualify for the World Athletics Championships slated for August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary. This is the first time Imeta is qualifying for the global athletics bonanza.
Omanyala’s heroics comes days after he triumphed in the just concluded World Athletics Indoor in France by breaking his own 60 m national record twice.
The speedy athlete will now shift his focus to clinching the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest which is scheduled for August 19 to 27.
Omanyala has a busy schedule ahead with the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour in Botswana on April 29 and the ASA Grand Prix in South Africa on April 12 and 19 among his first assignments.
He has lined up two Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meetings, two World Athletics Continental Tour, and six Diamond League races among other events.
Prior to the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on May 13, he will try his luck at the Doha Diamond League on May 5 before heading out for the Rabat meeting on May 28, Monaco on July 21, and Rome on June 2.
On September 8, he will compete at the Brussels Diamond League with the hopes of qualifying for the Prefontaine Classic finals, scheduled for September 16–17.
In the women’s 100 m category, Maximilla Imali was victorious after clocking 11.32 ahead of Ugandan Nyamangwe Jacent (11.64) and Esther Mbagari (11.72).
Simon Kiprop Koech and Emmanuel Korir Kiplagat were the eventual winners in the men’s 3,000 m steeplechase and 10,000 m titles respectively.
