Paris Olympics: A look into Ferdinand Omanyala's treacherous journey to Paris Olympics

Born on January 2nd, 1996, in Bungoma County, Ferdinand Omanyala is Kenya’s sole hope in the 100m at the upcoming Paris Olympics, set to kick off in less than two weeks.

Like in Tokyo 2020, Omanyala will be the only Kenyan competing in the 100m event, as Mark Otieno, who unfortunately, missed out on the Tokyo Olympics due to a doping violation, did not meet the qualification time this round.

Omanyala secured his spot after blazing through the Kenyan national trials in June at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium with a record-setting 9.79 seconds.

Early life

Born to Fred Omurwa and Shikanga Omurwa, Omanyala attended Butonge Primary School before continuing his education at the esteemed Friends School Kamusinga. In 2015, he pursued a degree at the University of Nairobi where his athletics career commenced.

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Married to Laventa Amutavi, Omanyala is a proud father of two. At 28-years-old, he is heading to his second Olympics, having previously competed in Tokyo in 2020. Despite narrowly missing the finals, he recalls the journey fondly, saying, "It has been a journey of ups and downs that shaped me into who I am today. Many discouraged me from pursuing sprinting and advised me to stick to rugby,” he told the Standard after the Tokyo Olympics.

Early career

Omanyala began his sprinting career relatively late, focusing seriously on training in 2015 while at the University of Nairobi.

The following year, he made his debut in Mumias during an Athletics Kenya event. He was part of the Kenya team at the Bahamas World Relay in 2017, marking his first-ever race outside the country and the first-time ever that he boarded a plane.

Career setback

In 2017, Omanyala faced a setback when a banned substance was found in his sample, leading to a 14-month suspension. He however maintained that the substance was from medicine prescribed to him by a medical doctor and maintained his innocence. He returned to competition in 2018, determined to prove himself again.

Career milestones/Races won

Currently serving as a police officer, Omanyala has since become a dominant force in sprinting, claiming victories across Africa and globally. His standout moment came in September 2021, when he clocked 9.77 seconds in Nairobi, earning him the title of Africa’s fastest man.

Among his accolades, Omanyala holds the African champion title in the 100m, triumphed in the 4X100 relay in Mauritius, and secured wins at the Kip Keino Classic and Monaco’s Diamond League in 2023 among others.

He also became the first Kenyan to win the 100m Commonwealth Games title back in 2022 after beating the then reigning champion Akani Simbine from South Africa.

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Personal achievements

Recognized for his achievements, Omanyala was named the 2021 SOYA Sports Male Sports Personality of the Year in 2021 and received multiple LG/SJAK Sports Personality awards.

Competition at Olympics

Looking ahead, Omanyala aims to become the first African since Namibia's Freddie Fredericks in 1996 to win Olympic gold in the 100m. With the second-best time this year, he faces stiff competition from top sprinters like Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville, Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek and Botswana's Letsile Tebogo.

Legacy

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Reflecting on his legacy ahead of the Olympics, Omanyala hopes to inspire future generations of African sprinters, stating, "I'll go down as the fastest sprinter Kenya has ever had, Of course, my records will be broken, but I'll be the person who came about and changed the notion that Kenyans are only known for long and middle distance. That is what I'm going down in books for. And I'm hoping that we get more and more African sprinters,” he told Olympics.com.