Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-02 22:40:52
Ferdinand Omanyala, who holds the record for the 100 meters in Africa, achieved an outstanding feat by shattering his 60m indoor National Record by 0.2 seconds on Friday at the Elite Indoor Track Miramas Meeting in France.
Omanyala, the reigning Commonwealth Games and Africa 100m champion, blazed through the semi-final heat in 6.62 seconds, then powered from behind to clinch the title in a remarkable time of 6.52 seconds.
This electrifying performance saw Omanyala break his previous National Record of 6.54 seconds, which he set during the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-des-Calais on February 15th of the previous year.
Although Omanyala had finished second last year in a national record time of 6.60 seconds, he managed to outshine Emmanuel Alobwede Eseme from Cameroon, who finished in second place, also setting a National Record time of 6.61 seconds.
This victory also served as sweet revenge for Omanyala against Arthur Cisse from Cote d’Ivoire, who had previously defeated him. The Ivorian settled for third place this time, achieving a season’s best time of 6.62 seconds.
Following this remarkable performance, Omanyala’s next goal is the Meeting de Paris on February 11 in the French capital, followed by the World Indoor Championships scheduled for March 1st to 3rd in Glasgow, Scotland.
This will mark Omanyala’s second appearance at the world indoor event after reaching the semi-finals during the 2022 championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
Despite Omanyala’s sensational performance, other Kenyan athletes failed to shine at the event. Wiseman Were and Boniface Mweresa finished third and fourth, respectively, in the men’s 400m race, with Channel Inaki taking the top spot in 46.72 seconds.
In the women’s 1,500m race, Lydia Lagat finished seventh with a time of 4:15.24, while Agatha Guillemot from Great Britain set a Meet Record of 4:08.57 to claim first place.
Similarly, Munguti Kyumbe placed seventh in the men’s 1,500m, clocking 3:40.89, while Ryan Mafori Mphahlele won the race in a Meet Record time of 3:36.57.
With his exceptional performance, Omanyala has demonstrated his prowess and determination, setting the stage for further success in his upcoming competitions.
His achievements not only reflect his dedication and hard work but also inspire other athletes to strive for greatness and break new barriers in the world of sports.
Omanyala’s journey serves as a testament to the spirit of resilience and determination, and his win at the Elite Indoor Track Miramas Meeting is a testament to his extraordinary talent and potential.
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