Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala will be chasing a slice of history this weekend in Brussles as he bids to become the first Kenyan sprinter ever to lift a Diamond League Final trophy.
The Kenyan speedster booked his place in the prestigious finale after a scintillating start to his Diamond League campaign, finishing fifth overall in the men’s 100m standings with 19 points, comfortably inside the eight automatic qualifying spots.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games champion is set for a mouth-watering showdown against the world’s finest in one of the most explosive races of the season before attention shifts to the World Ultimate Championships.
Jamaican world champion Oblique Seville tops the standings with 23 points, alongside South Africa’s Gift Leotlela.
Americans Trayvon Bromell and Jordan Anthony are tied with Omanyala, while Kenneth Bednarek occupies sixth with 18.
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme and South Africa’s Akani Simbine complete the field with 18 and 17 points respectively.
The Brussels showdown marks Omanyala’s second appearance in a Diamond League Final.
In 2023, he etched his name into Kenyan sprint history by becoming the nation’s first athlete to qualify for a Diamond League 100m final.
He went on to claim an impressive third-place finish at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, clocking 9.85 seconds.
That race was won by American Christian Coleman in 9.83, with compatriot Noah Lyles taking second in an identical 9.85 as Omanyala.
Last year, Omanyala again qualified for the final in Zurich after finishing among the top-ranked sprinters, but a nagging hip and pelvic injury forced him to withdraw.
Coleman went on to win in 9.97 ahead of Simbine (9.98) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (9.99).
Omanyala has already made his ambition of conquering the Diamond League final clear.
“The Diamond League final trophy is definitely on my target,” he said.
He described 2026 as a campaign of resurgence after an injury-hit spell.
“This season was a season of restoration and just getting back to the top,” he said.
More importantly, the Brussels final offers the Kenyan sprint king an opportunity to bounce back from the disappointment of the Commonwealth Games in July.
In Glasgow, Omanyala’s hopes of defending the title he won in 2022 went up in smoke after he exited in the semifinals, finishing sixth in his heat in 10.19.
Despite that setback, the 30-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable 2026 campaign.
He opened his season with victory at the Cape Milers Continental Tour in South Africa on April 10, clocking 10.19 before shifting into another gear eight days later at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix, where he stormed to a commanding win in 9.98.
He led Haiti’s Christopher Borzor (10.16) and Italy’s Chituru Ali (10.26).
On April 24, Omanyala delighted the home fans at the Kip Keino Classic, powering to victory in 9.96, with South Africa’s Rivaldo Roberts (10.12) and Canada’s Aaron Brown (10.15) completing the podium.
Just two days later, he claimed third place at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, dipping under the 10-second barrier once more with 9.95, behind Canada’s Jerome Blake (9.93), while Andre De Grasse matched Omanyala’s 9.95.
His Diamond League campaign began in Shanghai on May 16, where he blasted to second place in 9.98.
A week later in Xiamen, Omanyala announced his return to the top by storming to his first Diamond League victory in more than two years, winning in 9.94 ahead of Leotlela (10.00) and Bromell (10.03).
His impressive momentum briefly stalled in Rome, where he endured a disappointing eighth-place finish timing 10.11, but the Kenyan responded emphatically by claiming the national 100m title on June 20, clocking 10 seconds.
On his return to the Diamond League circuit in Paris, Omanyala faded to sixth place in a high-quality field, clocking 10.02.
