Ferdinand Omanyala commented on his difficult 2025 season

Reigning Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala commented on his difficult 2025 season, revealing the challenges he has kept a secret until now. He spoke about the extent of the injury he has suffered this season and explained why he had no intention of going public with it.

Africa’s fastest man has endured a difficult 2025 season, admitting that failing to break even once under 10 seconds was “a tough pill to swallow”.

Ferdinand Omanyala began his campaign in South Africa before finishing second at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in 10.00 sec, where he was edged out by Akani Simbine. He later made his Diamond League season debut in Xiamen, clocking 10.13 sec, followed by 10.25 sec in Keqiao.

The Kenyan sprinter clocked 10.05 sec to finish second at the Diamond League in Rabat before finishing third at the Kip Keino Classic in 10.07 sec. He later clocked 10.01 sec in Rome as his season continued to struggle.

His year concluded at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where Ferdinand Omanyala’s hopes were dashed in the semi-finals, capping a season he described as one of the toughest of his career.

The reigning Commonwealth Games champion revealed he had been suffering from an injury before withdrawing from the Diamond League final in Zurich. In a recent interview, Ferdinand Omanyala explained the extent of the injury, revealing that he initially didn’t take it seriously, but it had gotten worse and he had to get it looked after.

Ferdinand Omanyala said that a few days before the World Athletics Championships he was unsure whether he would stand on the starting line, noting that reaching the semi-finals was a plus for him.

“This season has been tough. I had a season in which I did 12 sub-10-second runs, in 2023, and now I’m entering a season in which I haven’t done a single one. It’s been a very tough season for me. In the beginning, of course, we were trying to get in peak shape before Tokyo, but shortly before that I got injured”, said Ferdinand Omanyala. “The injury was that I tore my tendon twice. There was a hemorrhage and we didn’t know. It’s the tendon that connects the hamstrings to the glutes. That part was bleeding and there were blood clots. So the muscles didn’t have the right line to move and work. It affected both the hip joint and the soleus muscle. It was a difficult moment because even four days before the world championships we didn’t know if I was going to compete. Fortunately, the Kenyan medical team made sure I got to the starting line. For me, the semi-final was an achievement”, added he.

Ferdinand Omanyala explained that he has already spoken openly about his difficulties, emphasizing that he doesn’t like to make excuses and prefers to take responsibility when things don’t go his way.

He admitted that this season has been difficult to accept, but remains optimistic, convinced that his path in athletics still has a lot to offer. The Kenyan recalled the years it took him to achieve his first sub-10-second run and expressed faith that a world medal would eventually come, insisting that patience is necessary even when others’ expectations are high.

“I told the world about it. I’m a person who really hates excuses. Yes, I hate excuses. If it’s not your day, it’s just not your day. You didn’t perform well and that’s it. I’m a person who challenges myself a lot”, said also Ferdinand Omanyala. “It’s been a tough season to take, but you know, I’m a very positive person because I believe I’m here for a reason. I didn’t come this far on this journey just to end it. You know, it took me six years to run under 10 seconds. I believe the world medal will come one day. I know we just have to be patient. Amen. And that’s hard because you have to be patient with a lot of people right now”, added he.