Budapest 23: History as Omanyala secures spot in 100m final

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, for the first time in his career, will be among the top sprinters set to battle it out in the men’s 100m finals set for Sunday night after what was a dramatic set of three semifinal rounds.

Running in the first semifinal heat, Omanyala, who was vying to go one better of last year’s performance in Oregon, was made to wait longer for confirmation into the finals, ultimately sailing through as a non-automatic qualifier after posting a time of 10.01.

0.01 seconds might be insignificant to many, but on this crazy afternoon, it was the difference maker, as Omanyala was forced to sit in the newly-improvised q room, anxiously hoping and praying to be among the two ‘fastest losers’ to earn the finals spot.

First was him seated alongside Eugene Amo Dadzie, the Brit who finished fourth in Heat One in 10.03 seconds, but then had to share a seat with Jamaican Ryiem Forde - who this time put up a personal best time of 9.95 in a third placed and chaotic finish in Heat 2 - one that saw former African champion Akani Simbine disqualified for a false start.

All was then drawn up for Omanyala, let the third place finisher in Heat 3 finish in a slower time than me. Or maybe that was his prayer, which was answered in crazy circumstances.

Pre-Championships favorite and defending champion Fred Kerley was always going to have a smooth route here, but he ended up to be the man to have his head fall on Omanyala’s chopping board, as he made pay for a slow start to finish third in his heat - behind Jamaican Oblique Seville and youngster Letsile Tebogo, clocking 10.02 which ultimately was not sufficient.

The man who had only lost once this year was out, and at the expense of a rugby-turned-sprinter Omanyala who was at this time uncontrollable in the q room.

There we go then! History is made, Omanyala will be in the final, but will hope to shift focus to the main final, given that he was the only man to finish outside the ten seconds mark.

Hold your breaths a little longer, the grand finale guns off at 2010 EAT.