Nairobi — Ferdinand Omanyala, the African 100m record holder will be out to deliver his first official sub-10 seconds at the opening two legs of the ASA Grand Prix Series in South Africa.
Omanyala will turn out at the first meeting of the series in Tshwane on Wednesday night and the Kenyan sprinter will compete again at the second leg in Germiston next week (19 April).
“My goal is to run under 10 seconds in both the Grand Prix 1 and 2 events,” Omanyala said. “Training is going well and I’m looking forward to a great season. It already took off with a great start, so I’m expecting very fast times this year.”
Omanyala, who won the African Championships and Commonwealth Games 100m titles last year, has been explosive in the early stages of the season.
He set a Kenyan national record of 6.54 in the 60m indoor sprint in France in February and he clocked 9.81 over 100m in Nairobi, though his result at that meeting did not include a wind recording.
“South Africa for me is like my second home and my manager being here stamps that,” said Omanyala ahead of his ASA Grand Prix campaign opener.
“I also love the hospitality I get here and just want to run fast times for me and my fans in South Africa.”
While he will not face South Africa record holder Akani Simbine in Tshwane on Wednesday, Omanyala will need to outclass a strong field which includes rising teenage star Benjamin Richardson.
Despite not being able to face Simbine at this early stage of the season, the Kenyan star had only good things to say about his South African counterpart.
Simbine won the national 100m title at the recent ASA Senior Championships in Potchefstroom, clocking an impressive 9.92 in the semi-finals, with Omanyala watching from the stands.
“Akani is a great athlete. He ran well at the nationals,” Omanyala said. “Hats off to him for taking the SA title five times. I pray he has a good season ahead.”
