Teeth clenched, Ferdinand Omanyala grimaced as he churned toward the finish line, hoping to coax a fraction more out of his 5-foot-9 frame.
The big, yellow numbers flashing a new personal best, told the Kenyan sprinter he had gotten what he wanted out of the 100 meters Saturday at the Josko Lauf Meeting in Austria.
Beyond the mark of 9.86 seconds, though, was something else, the fact that he is altering his sport domestically.
For the second straight race, Omanyala biggest competitor in Kenya was the clock.He bettered his old national record by a whopping .10 seconds, more than 0.4 margin he shaved off in the heats earlier today, where he clocked 9.96.secs.
“Waaaat!!!!Somebody tell me am not dreaming!This will sink in years later.Thank you Andorf, Austria.On to the next. See u in a bit Helsinki, Finland,” Omanayala posted on his official Facebook page.
He will now feature at Lahti Motomet Grand Prix in Finland where he is expected to bag at least a medal after breaking Josko Lauf Meeeting record.
A fortnight ago, Omanyala missed out on a slot in the Tokyo Olympics final by the finest of margins. He was one of three athletes who clocked 10.00 seconds across the three semifinals but it was Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke who earned a slot.
His performances at Tokyo Olympics and now in Austria has caught the national psyche, making him a new hero and beckon of hope heading into future assignments.
Courtesy Photos
