Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has one mission in the fourth edition of the Absa Kip Keino Classic this year, and that is to smash his own African record of 9.77 seconds done at the event two years ago.
The Commonwealth champion also targets to win the World Championships in Budapest in August and to lift the trophy in the Diamond League series where he will be making his debut in Rabat, Morocco on May 28.
To achieve his dream at the Kip Keino Classic at Kasarani Stadium today, Omanyala has worked on several strategies key among them getting a good start off the blocks. He says this will be enhanced with a great transition to the top and a meteoric speed to the finish line during the adrenaline filled race.
"We are going for under 9.77, my prayer is that the weather will be fine and the competition will be good, that's the target," Omanyala underlined.
During the race, Omanyala will be up in arms against global beaters like Kenneth Bednarek, the Olympic 200m silver medalist and Jerome Blake, the 4x100m relay world champion.
The African champion reiterates that he did his homework well in the pre-season and so now is just to maintain his current top form and speed ahead of the Kasarani duel.
He has called upon his legion of fans to come out in large numbers to fill the iconic Kasarani stadium to support his quest to lower the continental record.
"I urge Kenyans to come to the stadium in their numbers, their cheers and presence will be key, they will motivate me, they will push me to run much faster and achieve my goal," he said.
And does he feel he has a threat in the Kip Keino Classic showdown?
Omanyala says No!
"I don't look at my opponents when I'm competing, my biggest focus is always on myself. I will aim at the target which I have set, which is to do under 9.77, it's the main thing I'm focusing on for now."
So far, Omanyala is pleased with the way his 2023 season has panned out. He started with breaking records in Paris, France in February where he did four races; winning two silver labels and clinching a gold medal.
While in France, he stunned the world as he beat Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy in the men's 60m dash at Meeting Hauts-de- France Pas-de- Calais in Lievin.He stopped the clock in 6.54 seconds, smashing his own national record of 6.55 seconds which he had set barely a week in the Mondeville Meeting in France.
Omanyala had an opportunity to attend a high performance training in South Africa where he also won the Grand Prix meets that elevated his form.
From South Africa, he crossed over to Gaborone last month, where he won the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold in a sizzling 9.78 seconds that was unfortunately not ratified as it was wind assisted.
Last week, Omanyala set a new African and State record in the men's 150m at the Atlanta City Games in Georgia, United States of America. The African record has stood for 30 years. He clocked 14.89 seconds behind race winner Noah Lyles (14.56) and Erriyon Knighton (14.85).
"It's been a great start of the year. I'm hoping to maintain the momentum and build on it so as to continue running faster," he stated
Omanyala is poised to make his debut in the Diamond League series in Rabat, Morocco on May 28 where he has been lined up against top sprinters across the globe including Jacobs, Trayvon Bromell, Andre de Grasse, Letsile Tebogo, Akani Simbine, Yohan Blake and Machmour Chakir.
"I'm still waiting for confirmation of some races so I can release the full calendar of my schedule on my social media pages," he said.
