IN A SPECTACULAR SEASON OPENER, AFRICA'S SPRINT KING SHATTERED RECORDS
Omanyala broke the national record, which had stood at 6.54 seconds from the previous year's Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in France, by clocking an amazing 6.52 seconds in the final.
The fastest man in Africa, Ferdinand Omanyala, started the New Year on a high note on Friday at the Elite Indoor Track Meeting in Miramas, France, when he broke a record in his first race of the year.
Omanyala broke the national record, which had stood at 6.54 seconds from the previous year's Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in France, by clocking an amazing 6.52 seconds in the final.
The winner of the Commonwealth Games nearly matched the current global record, which is set at 6.48 seconds, in addition to cutting the previous meet record of 6.57 seconds.
With a time of 6.62 seconds, Cameroonian Eseme Emmanuel-Alobwede took second place, 0.09 seconds behind Omanyala. Ivory Coast's longtime rival Arthur Cisse finished third.
Next weekend, the 28-year-old Omanyala will compete in his second indoor competition in Capital Paris as a part of his training for the World Indoor Championships, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from March 1–3.
Omanyala won three of the four races he participated in on the indoor tour the year before, showing remarkable success. He finished second in the Elite Indoor Track Miramas meeting, then won the Meeting de Paris and the Mondeville Meeting, capping the tour at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais.
At the Ulinzi Sports Complex's Athletics Kenya (AK) meet this year, Omanyala made his debut by placing fifth. Later, he competed in another AK meet at Nyayo Stadium, where he won the 200-meter race and recorded the quickest time.
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