Ferdinand Omanyala: Africa’s Fastest Man Set for Nairobi Athletics Kenya Track and Field Event

• Ferdinand Omanyala will launch his 2024 athletics season in Nairobi, Kenya
• Africa’s fastest man faces a busy athletics calendar, including the Olympics
• The Kenyan has ruled out participation in a major upcoming event in Ghana

Africa's 100-metre record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala, is gearing up for the 2024 athletics season, kicking off his campaign at the second Athletics Kenya track and field event on January 5 at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.

Eyeing a solid start, he faces a packed athletics calendar featuring prominent events such as the Summer Olympics in Paris in August, the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas in May, and the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March.

Despite securing the Commonwealth Games title, the Kenyan concluded the 2023 season with a seventh-place finish at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and a third-place position in the Diamond League final in Oregon in the USA.

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Omanyala has conceded that he cannot afford to rest with his current schedule.

"We have a busy schedule ahead from February to September. This is the only time I have enough time to train properly between now and February; that is why I’m working closely with my trainer to ensure I’m ready for the task ahead," the athlete said per Citizen Digital.

In anticipation of a hectic campaign, the 28-year-old has ruled out participation in the upcoming African Games in Accra, Ghana, scheduled for March.

Representing the National Police Service (NPS), the athlete expressed his commitment to rigorous training to prepare for the other upcoming challenges.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Omanyala and his coach, Geoffrey Kimani, paid a courtesy call to the French Embassy in Kenya, which shared photos online to wishes the sprinter well.

"Kenyan sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala and coach all set for Paris Olympic Games," the Embassy wrote via their Twitter handle.

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With the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) aiming to send the largest contingent to this year's Olympics, Athletics Kenya has already named a provisional squad for the men’s and women’s marathon teams, intensifying preparations for the highly anticipated event.

Omanyala is back in form

Sports Brief also previously reported on Omanyala winning his first 100m race after a disappointing outing at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in September 2023.

The Kenyan crossed the finish line in 9.94 seconds to register a vital win ahead of the Diamond League final, with Jamaica's Oblique Seville in second and Marcell Jacobs in third.