Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala aims for new continental 100m record

Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, known as Africa’s fastest man, is confident he still has the strength to break his own continental record in the 100m this year. He insists his historic achievement was set to be broken by him.

Ferdinand Omanyala is the current African record holder in the event, having clocked an impressive 9.77 sec at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic, which saw him finish second in the race.

That result has remained elusive since then. The closest he came was South African Akani Simbine, who clocked 9.82 sec in 2024.

“I still hold the African record and I believe I am the one who will break it. Others have tried but failed. It could happen this season or next, but I believe I am the man to break this record”, said Ferdinand Omanyala in an intreview.

The 30-year-old athlete enters the 2026 season with ambitions of revenge after a disappointing 2025, in which he failed to break the 10-second 100m mark. He began his season at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix in South Africa, where he clocked 10.22 sec in the first leg before improving to 10.08 sec in the second.

Ferdinand Omanyala then took part in the third national qualifiers, where he won in 10.09 sec, ahead of compatriots Meshack Kitsubuli Babu (10.41 sec) and his brother Isaac Kundu Omurwa (10.62 sec).

His participation in the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix followed a similar pattern – he again failed to break the 10-second mark, finishing second in 10.00 sec.

Ferdinand Omanyala’s Diamond League campaign was marked by flashes of brilliance but also disappointing inconsistency. He clocked 10.13 sec for second place in Xiamen, 10.25 sec for ninth in Shanghai, 10.05 sec for another second place in Rabat, 10.01 sec for third place at the Golden Gala in Rome and 10.49 sec for seventh place in Brussels.

Outside the Diamond League, he placed third at the Kip Keino Classic (10.07 sec), second at the Serbia Athletics Meeting (10.25 sec) and won the Lauf Meeting in Andorf (Austria) in 10.03 sec.

His inconsistency was also evident at the World Championships last September, where he failed to advance to the semi-finals, finishing fifth in his series with a time of 10.09 sec.

Despite a difficult 2025 season, Ferdinand Omanyala believes the tough year has taught him valuable lessons. “2025 was a difficult season. I was expecting a sub-10 second time, but I didn’t get it. It was a season to push me to the next step”, said he.

This year, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion is determined to re-establish himself on the world stage.

“This year, the goal is to get back to the top. This is a recovery season because I’m going to get back everything I lost. I’m going into the new season with more confidence because I know what work I’ve done”, said Ferdinand Omanyala.

His focus will be on strong performances in the Diamond League and defending his Commonwealth Games title.

“This year is all about finding the right rhythm in the 100m and 200m, competing in the Diamond League, the World Championships and defending my Commonwealth Games title”, added Ferdinand Omanyala.

Ferdinand Omanyala will kick off her 2026 indoor campaign by competing in the 60m at the Miramas tournament on January 30.