Nairobi — Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala admits he is slowly falling in love with South Africa after a dominant win in the men’s 100m at the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Grand Prix on Wednesday night in Tshwane, Pretoria.
He clocked 10.12 to cross the finish line ahead of Benjamin Richardson (10.33) and Rivaldo Roberts (10.34) in second and third respectively.
The triumph was Omanyala’s second podium finish in the World Athletics Continental Tour event, following on from last year when he timed 9.98 to win the men’s 100m.
“South Africa is always like my second home…I always get excited when I am here. It feels like home…with all the fans, they are always excited to see me and I am just happy to give them a show …give them what they want according to what they expected,” the African 100m record holder said.
Omanyala had been hoping to clock a sub-10 in the race, to erase the disappointment of his last event, at the 2nd Athletics Kenya Track and Field Weekend Meeting in February, where his world lead of 9.81 was not ratified due to wind interference.
Regardless, the African 100m champion said Wednesday’s win was a step for him in the right direction as he remains relentless in his pursuit of the world title at the World Championships in Budapest.
“It was a good race…we were expecting a sub-10 but a win is a win either way, so we appreciate it. I am looking forward to next week, I don’t know where it is but I am looking to go faster. Every thing is falling in place like we always planned it so the only thing left is to train day in day out to get that race sharpness,” he said.
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Omanyala, whose personal best of 9.77 is the African record, added that he will be using the next two competitions – including the Kip Keino Classic to be held on home soil – to gauge himself as he continues his pursuit of the world title at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
“We’ll judge with that with the next two races because I know they will be faster. However, the target still remains this season…a time of 9.60,” he added.
The race was Omanyala’s eleventh this year following his participation in the World Indoor Tour as well as the 2nd Athletics Kenya Track and Field Weekend Meeting at Nyayo Stadium in February.
The Kitale-born has already smashed the national record for the 60m on two occasions – at the Mondeville and Lievin World Indoor Tour legs.
Another Kenyan in the race, Samuel Imeta, finished fourth in 10.39.
