Ferdinand Omanyala clocks fifth-fastest time of 2025 at blistering athletics meet

Ferdinand Omanyala started his 2025 season in Pretoria last Wednesday.

Ferdinand Omanyala clocks fifth-fastest time of 2025 at blistering athletics meet

Festus Chuma 20:00 - 29.03.2025

Ferdinand Omanyala dazzled at Uganda’s National Trials, delivering his fastest 2025 performance yet and reinforcing his global sprinting dominance.

Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala Saturday brought down the stadium record when he exploaded to fifth-fastest time this year during during Uganda’s 3 National Trials.

The event, held at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Nambolee, drew a star-studded lineup of athletes, with Omanyala stealing the show in a time of 10.9sec.

The Kenyan sprint sensation outpaced a competitive field, asserting his dominance in a season that has already been defined by razor-thin margins and exceptional speed.

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Though his 10.09s result is still pending ratification by World Athletics, the time places him level with Jamaica’s Akeem Blake and Colombia’s Carlos Florez Angulo, both of whom have also clocked 10.09s in recent meets.

Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, has been steadily building momentum since launching his international campaign earlier this month.

On March 13 in South Africa, he placed third in 10.22s behind Karabo Letebele and Erasmus Emile, who both ran 10.19s.

A week later, Omanyala bounced back in emphatic fashion at the UJ Stadium in Johannesburg, powering to victory in 10.08s ahead of Matsoso Tsebo (10.12) and Bradley Nkoana (10.16).

Back home, he kicked off the 2025 season at the Athletics Kenya (AK) track and field meeting in Thika, cruising through his opening heat with a relaxed 10.7s on a murram track.

He stepped it up in the semifinals, clocking 10.2s to dominate the field before opting out of the final, where Boniface Mweresa took the top spot in 10.1s.

Despite skipping that final, Omanyala’s decision to return to action in Uganda proved fruitful.

The third National Trials not only gave him the platform to post his season-best time but also offered a glimpse of the form that made him Africa’s record holder in the 100m.

South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza sits atop the global rankings with a lightning-quick 9.99s, followed closely by Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy and Joshua Azzopardi.