Omanyala credits endurance boost for Atlanta victory, shifts focus to World Championships glory

Ferdinand Omanyala believes his triumph in the men’s 150m at the Atlanta City Games is an important stepping stone toward winning his first global medal at the World Championships in Tokyo this September.

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The Kenyan sprint sensation clocked a blistering 14.70 seconds on Saturday, smashing his African record of 14.89 set on the same course in 2023.

His dominant display saw him finish well ahead of Bahamian Terrence Jones (14.93) and American Mathew Boling (15.15), notching his first major international win of the season.

Speaking after the race, Omanyala revealed that competing in the 150m was a deliberate move to build endurance for what he expects to be a long and demanding season.

"I have done a couple of 100m races up to now, so the 150m sets me up for the long season ahead, and I am happy it went great," he said.

Originally billed as a showdown with Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles, the race lost some spark after the American pulled out due to an ankle injury.

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Still, Omanyala made a statement with his performance, demonstrating both power and tactical precision.

"My coach told me to get out of the blocks fast, and that's what I did. The momentum just kept pushing me on. Being a frontrunner, I just kept pushing to the finish line," Omanyala told The Star.

With his sights firmly set on Tokyo, Omanyala is focused on a steady, well-paced buildup as he enters the critical phase of the season.

"Right now I am just building up slowly because this is like the second or third month since I kicked off my season, so I'm just getting into the groove."

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The journey to the World Championships has been one of steady progression for Omanyala.

He fell short in the 2022 Eugene edition, exiting in the semifinals with a time of 10.14. A year later in Budapest, he reached the final and finished seventh in 10.07, a race won by Lyles in 9.83.

This year, Omanyala is not walking the path alone. He celebrated Kenya’s 4x100m relay team qualifying for the World Championships for the first time in history at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China.

"We have been pushing so hard to get into the World Championships for a long time. What we did was historic, and I hope we can only inspire the next generation so that the relay team will always be present at the Worlds," he said.

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Omanyala, alongside Boniface Mweresa, Meshack Babu, and Steve Onyango, clocked 38.51 seconds to finish second behind Belgium (38.49) in the second round of qualifiers.

They had earlier set a new national record of 38.35 on Day One.