Ferdinand Omanyala looking to end South African tour with victory in Johannesburg after poor outing in Pretoria

Ferdinand Omanyala at the Paris Olympic Games.

Ferdinand Omanyala looking to end South African tour with victory in Johannesburg after poor outing in Pretoria

Joel Omotto 05:00 - 19.03.2025

Ferdinand Omanyala is counting on cold weather to propel him to victory in Johannesburg on Wednesday after a disappointing outing in Pretoria.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is confident of securing victory at the ASA Grand Prix II in Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday.

Omanyala did not enjoy a good return to South Africa this year when he finished third at the opening ASA Grand Prix in Pretoria last Wednesday after clocking 10.22 seconds at the Pliditch Stadium.

South Africa’s 18-year-old Karabo Letebe clocked a personal best 10.19 seconds to win the race ahead of compatriot Emile Erasmus, who also managed the same time, but lost in a photo finish.

Omanyala is therefore looking to right the wrongs of last week and is counting on favourable weather conditions to push him to victory in South Africa’s capital.

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“The weather has turned a bit cold to offer good sprinting conditions but there is a nice lineup tomorrow and Omanyala is looking to make the most of it,” Omanyala’s manager Marcel Viljoen told Nation.

Omanyala has had some great outings in South Africa in the last two years and after a poor start in Pretoria, he will look to make amends in Johannesburg to give him the confidence he needs ahead of his next event which will be the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone on April 12.

The 29-year-old is looking to return to the 2023 form that saw him labeled among the medal prospects at that year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary before he finished seventh in the final.

His 2024 season was, however, not as impressive as he missed the Diamond League final and exited the Olympics at the semi-final stage.

In Johannesburg, Omanyala will be up against Kenyan compatriot Mark Otieno once again after he finished fourth behind him in Pretoria after clocking 10.30 seconds.