Omanyala not flattered by Pre-Olympic triumphs

Omanyala, who is so far the second fastest this season in 100m after Kishane Thompson of Jamaica (9.77), insists total concentration on the main competition is more crucial than the pre-Olympic races.

“People are running fast. I am the second fastest in the world but none of that will matter when we get to the Olympic Stadium on 3rd August. So all these times that have been run will be null and void on that day,” said Omanyala.

Omanyala will face fierce competition from the 200m Olympic bronze medallist Noah Lyles who clocked 9.83s at the US Olympic trials, Jamaica's Oblique Seville who ran 9.82s and America's Christian Coleman who clocked 9.86s during the trials.

Italian Marcell Jacobs will also attempt to defend his title but he has been nowhere near his best as of now, and this year he has been struggling to get under 10 seconds.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana will join Omanyala as the other African representatives in the 100m track.

“I would love to see all of us (Africans) in the final but that will (of course) be determined by how we will perform in the heats. So I won't talk too much about it, because I want to handle each stage as it comes,” added Omanyala.

The Kenyan crashed out in the semi-finals during his Olympic debut in Tokyo three years ago.