Omanyala’s dream to reach Olympics final dashed
(From L) Panama's Arturo Harmodio Deliser Espinosa, Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala and Italy's Chituru Ali compete in the men's 100m heat of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 3, 2024. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
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Ferdinand Omanyala's hopes to make history as the
first ever Kenyan to reach the Olympics 100m final were extinguished on Sunday as
the fastest man in Africa placed a distant eighth in the semifinal at the Stade
de France in Paris.
Omanyala, who arrived in Paris as the second fastest
man in the world this year, clocked 10.08 seconds to finish second last as poor
took off ghosts returned to haunt the Kenyan in the tension-packed semifinal.
Fastest man in the world this year Kishane Thompson
of Jamaica won the heat in 9.80 seconds becoming the fastest qualifier with USA’s
Fred Kerley coming in second with a season best of 9.84.
The Jamaica’s hot favourite will line up in the
Sunday’s 10:50pm final against the USA trio of Noah Lyles, Kenny
Bednarek and Fred Kerley, reigning champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy, South
Africa’s Akani Simbine, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Jamaica’s Oblique
Seville.
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