Omanyala and Moraa shine with second-place finishes at Prefontaine Classic
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 26.05.24. | 12:30
In the women’s steeplechase, former world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and Faith Cherotich finished second and third, respectively, behind Uganda’s former Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai.
Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, broke the 10-second barrier for the first time this season, clocking 9.98 seconds to finish second at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday night.
He finished just behind American Chris Coleman.
This marked the second meeting between Omanyala and Coleman this season, following the World Indoor Championships in March, where the Kenyan sprinter finished fourth in the 60m dash, with Coleman taking the win.
“It's always a good feeling to see Kenyans around the world supporting you. It's motivating, honestly, and I feel great that I'm giving them something exciting. This season is all about progress, and I'm glad that the progress is going well. We just want to time it right for the Olympic period,” Omanyala said after the race.
Last weekend at the Atlanta City Games, Omanyala also finished second but did not run under 10 seconds.
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In the women’s 800m, Mary Moraa also secured a second-place finish, losing to Great Britain’s Keeley Hodgkinson.
Moraa posted her fastest time of the season, clocking 1:56.71, while Hodgkinson ran a world-leading time of 1:55.78.
In the women’s steeplechase, former world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and Faith Cherotich finished second and third, respectively, behind Uganda’s former Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai.
Chemutai won the race in 8:55.09, setting a new national record for Uganda, a personal best, and a world-leading time.
Chepkoech, who led for most of the race, finished in 8:55.61, while Cherotich recorded a season’s best time of 9:04.45.
Following the events in Eugene, the Diamond League now heads to Oslo, Norway, on Thursday.
