'I can’t say there is a threat' - Ferdinand Omanyala sets sights on smashing his own African record amid rising competition

Ferdinand Omanyala

'I can’t say there is a threat' - Ferdinand Omanyala sets sights on smashing his own African record amid rising competition

Abigael Wafula 05:29 - 16.01.2025

Ferdinand Omanyala believes his African 100m record of 9.77 seconds is secure, despite strong competition from fellow sprinters such as Letsile Tebogo and Akani Simbine.

Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala believes there is no formidable threat to his African record as he plans to lower that time even further.

The African record stands at 9.77 seconds and was set at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic where Omanyala finished second behind American sprint king Trayvon Bromell.

There has been a rise of great African sprinters in Letsile Tebogo and Akani Simbine but Omanyala believes he is the only potential threat to his record, insisting that the competition is there to just make him work hard.

He further explained that there is a lot of talent in Africa and he cannot downplay the potential of the upcoming sprinters, claiming the top runners have forced him out of his comfort zone and he is now working towards bettering that time.

“For the competition, I’m the fastest man in Africa and I want to even lower that time so that I make it harder for anyone in my generation or the next generation to break that record. I appreciate the competition that’s in here and I appreciate that we are pushing each other,” Ferdinand Omanyala said in an interview with Sports Wave Africa Foundation.

“It doesn’t make me sleep because each time I’m thinking of resting, I think about someone else who is working hard to come and beat my records. That’s healthy competition among us. I can’t say there is a threat because 9.77 is quick and we are taking it down, so maybe, I’m a threat to myself.”

Omanyala remains Kenya’s beacon of hope in sprinting with his prowess in running and as he continues to make waves on the global scene, he also wants to inspire the next generation of sprinters.

Africa is slowly coming up when it comes to sprinting and Tebogo is proof the continent is also good in short distance races.

He has achieved historic feats in a number of his events, including the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where he became the first African to win a medal in the 100m.

The Motswana youngster bagged a silver medal at the event, finishing second behind Noah Lyles before proceeding to claim a bronze in the 200m.

At the Paris Olympic Games, Tebogo was also in a class of his own, becoming the first African to win a gold medal in the 200m at an Olympic Games. He also anchored Botswana’s 4x400m relay team to a silver medal behind the US.