Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, is far from satisfied with his electric start to the 2026 season, declaring that he is chasing even greater glory after a productive Chinese tour that delivered only the second Diamond League victory of his career since 2023.
Omanyala is currently the most in-form 100m sprinter on the planet, having dipped under the 10-second barrier five times since launching his campaign.
His latest statement performance came at the Xiamen Diamond League, where he stormed to a season’s best 9.94. The 30-year-old Kenyan speedster powered past South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, who clocked 10.00, while American Trayvon Bromell completed the podium in 10.03.
Omanyala had opened his Diamond League season in Shanghai, where he settled for second place in 9.98 secs behind Leotlela, who edged the field in 9.97 secs.
American sprint ace Kenneth Bednarek completed the podium after matching Omanyala’s 9.98 secs.
After closing out the Chinese leg in Xiamen, a delighted Omanyala reflected positively on his strong Diamond League start. “I enjoyed the race, to be honest. It was so fun. I got a good start and a smooth transition into top speed, and it felt great,” Omanyala said after the race.
Xiamen marked Omanyala’s second-ever Diamond League triumph over 100m, his only previous victory having come in Monaco in July 2023. On that occasion, the Kenyan sprint king stopped the clock at 9.92 to beat Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.93) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (10.00). “This is my second Diamond League win in my career, so I have to be excited. This trip has been really fruitful.”
But the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion insists the job is far from done as he hunts for more silverware and sprinting milestones. “I am looking forward to more wins in the future.”
Omanyala also pointed to an intense pre-season build-up and encouraging training performances as the fuel behind his explosive form. “We have been posting some good times in training, and we are just keeping it going because we had a very nice pre-season,” he noted.
The Kenyan speed merchant has his sights firmly fixed on defending his Commonwealth crown and making a major statement at the inaugural World Ultimate Championships. “The target is to defend the Commonwealth title and later on the World Ultimate Championships.”
Omanyala has looked razor-sharp since opening his 2026 outdoor campaign. He launched his outdoor season at the Cape Milers Continental Tour in South Africa, sprinting to victory in 10.19.
The race saw him comfortably brush aside South African pair Ubay Arend, who clocked 10.55 for second place, and Keegan Van Der Merwe, who finished third in 10.56.
He then shifted into overdrive, unleashing a relentless run of sub-10 performances over the 100m. He fired his first warning shot at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix on April 18, storming to victory in 9.98, his first sub-10 clocking in more than two years. Christopher Borzor finished second in 10.16, while Italy’s Chituru Ali rounded off the podium in 10.26.
Omanyala then returned home for the Kip Keino Classic on April 24, thrilling the packed Nyayo National Stadium crowd by lowering his season’s best to 9.96 on his way to victory.
South Africa’s Rivaldo Roberts finished second in 10.12, while Canadian veteran Aaron Brown took third in 10.15. The Commonwealth champion lowered his season-best mark again two days later at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, blazing to 9.95 to finish third.
Canada’s Jerome Blake claimed top honours in 9.93, while compatriot Andre De Grasse edged into second in an identical 9.95. Beyond his individual brilliance, Omanyala also played a pivotal role in Kenya’s men’s 4x100m relay team at the World Relay Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, on May 3.
Running alongside Meshack Babu, Mark Otieno and Ronald Koech, the Kenyan quartet combined to clock a national record 38.50 seconds, finishing fifth in Heat Two of the 2027 World Championships qualifying rounds.
![Fans paint cities red worldwide as Arsenal are crowned EPL champions [PHOTOS]](https://www.breakingkenyanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-25-at-1.06.10-AM-1536x964-1-768x482.jpeg)
