Omanyala v Wazala: Who will blink first at Kip Keino Classic ?

Ferdinand Omanyala competes in the 100m race during the Absa Kip Keino Classic -World Continental Tour Gold Nairobi 2024 at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on April 20, 2024. [Stafford Ondego, Standard] After months of intense preparations, the stage has finally been set for the sixth edition of the Absa Kip Keino Classic World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi today. Twenty two events in the national, discretionary and core categories will be contested by the hundreds of athletes from across the globe who have landed in Nairobi to search for glory in the amazing global showpiece. But the much-anticipated showdown of the day, by the expected expectant crowd that will throng the 10,000-capacity military stadium, is the epic battle in men's 100m which will be the last fixture of the day. The showdown pits African sprint king and continental record holder Ferdinand Omanyala against South African teenage dash sensation Bayanda 'Wobble Wobble' Walaza. Social media has been abuzz on this expected mouthwatering clash, with many quarters highlighting their various predictions on the race. "Omanyala is on fire. He is on a great ride. He is in good shape. My bet is on him," sprints fanatic Charles Wokabi stated. "I think he is now best placed to show the world what he has for now. I can't wait," Wokabi underlined. Omanyala is out for a three-peat victory in the category, having beaten American wonderboy Justin Gatlin for silver in 2022 to set the standing African record at 9.77 seconds. He later went on to lift the highly prized Kip Keino Classic category in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. With the absence of defending champion Kenneth Bednarek and Emmanuel Matadi (Liberia) and Jeremiah Azu (Great Britain) who finished the podium in that order, many see Omanyala as the clear race favourite this year. Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion, heads to the clash fresh from setting new National and African (14.70 seconds) records in men's 150m at the 2025 Atlanta City Games in the US, a feat he achieved after steering Kenya to qualify for the 4x100m Tokyo 2025 World Championships set for Japan in September. Omanyala also had an impressive performance at the recent Wanda Diamond League leg in Rabat, Morocco, beating American Fred Kerley to finish second behind Akani Simbine of South Africa. "Kip Keino Classic is a very important race for me, I'll never want to miss it while I'm still an active athlete," Omanyala underlined ahead of the race. The 29-year-old father of two added: "We've grown together (with the championship), and the event has helped profile me to the top. People come to Kenya specifically to compete against me. I invite the world to come, and they do. I'm glad. "Breaking that African record when I least expected it was amazing. Kip Keino really boosted my confidence, especially after beating top sprinters like Kerley and Gatlin. "It's a rare opportunity for Kenyan sprinters-and fans-to witness such elite competition on home soil and to see one of their own beating them. "That moment inspired many local sprinters and gave them confidence. I'm happy it paid off." On the other hand, Walaza heads to the fixture fresh from minting gold at the Guangzhou 2025 World Relays Championship in China where he also qualified South Africa for the Tokyo Worlds. The Paris 2024 Olympics 4x100m silver medallist is oozing confidence and buzzing with expectations ahead of his Kip Keino Classic debut. "But honestly, I don't line up to come second. I believe in my training, my team, and my God-given talent. I'm here to race fearlessly and have fun. If I execute my race, anything can happen," the double World U20 sprint gold medallist declared. Wazala insisted he has his only eyes on the gold saying: "Yoo, I'm so pumped! I've been watching the Kip Keino Classic for a while, and now I finally get to be part of it. "Nairobi's energy is next level, and I'm just excited to experience that vibe, feel the crowd, and give it my all." At the same time, there is a looming battle in the women's 800m category where 19-year-old African champion Sarah Moraa will step into the great shoes of her cousin Mary Moraa to ward off stiff opposition from 26-year-old Caribbean queen Shafiqua Maloney from St.Vincent and the Grenadines, who is making her debut in the championship. "It's my first visit to Kenya and Africa and I hope to do better in Nairobi, I'm eyeing gold, " stated Maloney who was denied a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics by Mary. In men's javelin, former world champion Julius Yego is hopeful to upgrade his 2022 Kip Keino Classic silver into gold. Yego, a former Olympic silver medallist, a double Commonwealth champion and a five-time African winner, will be up against former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany, 2023 Kip Keino Classic champion Timothy Herman of Belgium and double world champion and Olympic silver medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, who won silver in Nairobi in 2023. "The Kip Keino javelin field is strong and very star studded. It's really going to be a very good competition. Whoever wins shall have earned it," underlined Rohler. In the women's 100m contest, Kenyan duo of Milicent Ndoro and Doreen Waka have very wild dreams of taking on race favourite and African medallist Maia McCoy of America head-on. Previously racing for Liberia, McCoy says she has switched over to her birth country USA. Hemida Basanta of Egypt is also jostling to upgrade her last year's silver in the clash. McCoy's compatriot Shanon Ray, who bagged bronze last season, is aiming to strike gold too, while Rani Rosius of Belgium, who was fourth, is working round the clock to smash the glass ceilings into the podium. There is also Botswana's new kid on the block, Tsaone Sebele, who could just be the dark horse in the duel. Meet Director Barnaba Korir gave assurance that World Athletics will certify the new championship venue. Previously, the Meet was held either at the historic Nyayo or Kasarani stadiums, which are currently undergoing renovations for the 2025 CHAN and the 2027 Afcon tournaments.

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