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The 100m Olympic bronze medalist questioned Omanyala's record breaking time as Africa's fastest man.
2024 Paris Olympics bronze medalist Fred Kerley has stirred up controversy by questioning Ferdinand Omanyala's record as Africa's fastest man.
Kerley made the comments during an appearance on the Ready Set Go, a YouTube show hosted by American sprint legend Justin Gatlin and Rodney Greene.
The conversation took a sharp turn when Kerley joked that if he had raced against Gatlin in his prime, he would have forced the legendary sprinter into early retirement.
This prompted co-host Greene to mention that Ferdinand Omanyala, Kenya’s sprint sensation, had already accomplished that.
Omanyala's blistering time of 9.77 seconds at the 2021 Kipchoge Keino Classic in Nairobi broke South African Akani Simbine’s African record of 9.84 seconds, making Omanyala the ninth-fastest man in history.
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In that historic race, American Trayvon Bromell clocked an impressive 9.76 to secure the win, while Gatlin finished third with a time of 10.03, marking the end of his illustrious career.
Despite Omanyala’s record-breaking performance, Kerley downplayed the achievement, taking a sly dig at the Commonwealth games champion reputation.
"Them races in Kenya don't really count," Kerley quipped with a smirk.
Gatlin, sensing the impact of the comment, pointed out that it was likely to ruffle Omanyala’s feathers.
However, Kerley seemed unbothered, doubling down by saying, "I don't really care, but he already knows what it is."
Kerley went on to emphasize his versatility in sprinting on all types of tracks, contrasting Omanyala’s performance outside of Kenya.
"I run fast everywhere. I don't run like they said we only run fast on home soil. We run fast everywhere. I ran 19 outside the soil. So, he got to tell me what it really is," Kerley added, clearly referencing Omanyala’s underwhelming international performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At the Paris Games, Omanyala finished 8th in his semi-final heat, clocking 10.08 seconds and missing out on the final, while Kerley who clocked 9.84 to clinch second in the same heat went on to clinch a bronze medal in the final with a time of 9.81.
The comparison highlighted Omanyala’s struggle to replicate his local success on the global stage, a point Kerley did not shy away from.
Despite his criticisms, Kerley brushed off any chance of facing Omanyala on Kenyan soil.
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When asked if he would be willing to challenge the Kenyan on his home turf, he simply responded, "No, I'm good over here."
Kerley’s comments have set the stage for further debate between some of the two fastest men in the world, but whether the two will meet in a head-to-head showdown remains to be seen.
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