Omanyala eyeing sub 10 in clash with Simbine

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is back on the track in South Africa where he will take on among others home runner Akani Simbine at the fourth leg of the ASA Athletics Grand Prix series. 

A 9.77 runner, Omanyala is aiming for a sub-10 at the event which is also a Continental Tour Challenge event, at the Germiston Athletics Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday night.  

The Kenyan sensation was in action in South Africa last Wednesday where he stopped the clock at 10.11 seconds to win the 100m during the third leg of the series at the NWU McArthur Athletics Stadium in Potchefstroom. 

Omanyala storms to victory in South Africa to launch a blistering outdoor season

Omanyala and Simbine, the South African 100m record holder who holds a personal best time of 9.84 and was the African record holder before the former's time set at last year's Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, headline the night’s programme. 

Eight on the all-time top list, Omanyala says he is focused on running a faster time than he did in his last outing at the series as opposed to beating the South African. Racing against Simbine is, instead, serving as motivation for the Kenyan. 

“I hope it will not rain in Germiston so that we can give the fans value for their money,” said Omanyala, who was training under a steady downpour on Monday at the Ruimsig Athletics Stadium in Johannesburg as part of his build-up to the Wednesday super clash.

“I am not focusing too much on Akani, but I want to race against the clock and run a faster time. We have to push each other to run a fast time. I am going head-to-head against the former African record holder. I am excited and want to put on a great show for the supporters. My goal is to run 9.96 or 9.95 depending on the weather on the day,” said Omanyala.

The Kenyan is using the ASA Athletics Grand Prix Series as part of his preparations for the CAA African Senior Track and Field Championships set for Mauritius and the Commonwealth Games due in Birmingham, England where he wants to wrestle Simbine’s respective 100m titles.

He also wants to secure a podium finish at the World Championships in Oregon, the USA in August. He then went on to shower Athletics South Africa for organising what he termed a quality competition that allows the athletes to run against some of the best names on the continent.

“The Grand Prix was well organised and I wished the Potch leg took place during the day because it then became cold at night. I love the organisation and am happy that it was also live on television. 

Other African countries can learn a lot from South Africa. They are giving athletes that cannot get out of the country and continent an opportunity to compete. African athletes lack competition, but in South Africa, it is a different story. The organisation is top class.”