Omanyala falters in maiden 400m race at Nairobi Athletics Kenya weekend meet

Photo credit || Athletics Kenya

ATHELTICS Omanyala falters in maiden 400m race at Nairobi Athletics Kenya weekend meet

Mark Kinyanjui 18:38 - 05.01.2024

Omanyala was trying out his luck in the 400m to help build his endurance as he looks for ways of sustaining top speeds in sprints.

Africa’s 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala displayed great grit in the 400m at the Nairobi Athletics meet held at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Friday.

Omanyala, who had earlier indicated he might miss racing in local meetings, only opting for the Kip Keino classic, the Athletics Kenya National Championships, and the National Trials for the upcoming Olympic games, took the blocks in the 400m during the meet at 8:20 AM.

Unsurprisingly, Omanyala did not win his maiden 400m race, finishing fifth in a time of 49.06, but has been praised by coach Geoffrey Kimani for “a great showing”.

"Uncharted territory earlier today for @Ferdiomanyala in the 400m,” Kimani wrote on his X, formerly Twitter handle.

“Great showing and grit too...taking off in the shadows of two Kenya women 400m legends Rose Tata Muya and Ruth Waithera all in the frame at the start!“

Omanyala revealed that his first 400m race was not about time, but rather identifying whether it would be possible to take it up, having already confirmed that he will be competing in both the 100 and 200m this season.

“This is my first 400m race and it looks exciting, we are not going for time but to see how we shall run over the distance,” Omanyala had told Nation Sport before competing on Friday.

Omanyala was trying his luck out in the 400m to help build his endurance as he looks for ways of sustaining top speeds in sprints.

Omanyala will be hoping for a strong start in a busy athletics calendar with major events lined up including the World Indoor Championships to be held in March in Glasgow, World Relays Championships in May in Bahamas, and the Olympic Games in Paris, France in August.

The Commonwealth Games champion managed a seventh-place finish at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest before finishing third in the Diamond League final in Oregon.

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