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Ferdinand Omanyala Breaks African 100m Record

Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala set a new African record 09.77seconds in 100m to finish second at the Absa Kip Keino Classic at Kasarani on Saturday.

Omanyala breezed home with the aid of a decent tailwind(+1.2 m/s), finishing behind Trayvon Bromell of the United States (9.76).

The 25-year-old took nine hundredth off his previous personal best of 9.84 secs set in August at Josko Lauf Meeting in Austria, and broke Akani Simbine’s s previous continental mark of 9.85 set in Hungary in July 2021.

Former Olympics 100m champion Justin Gatlin finished third in 10.02 and was the first athlete to congratulate the Kenyan champion.

“He used the hometown support really well. I believe Omanyala will be a force to reckon with,” he said.

In 200m,Olympic 100m silver medalist Fred Kerley from the United States ran a personal beat after holding off Isaac Makwala from Botswana.

Kerley timed 19.76 seconds, which is the fastest time to be ran on Africa soil to triumph, while Makwala clocked 20.06 to settle second as Filipo Tortu from Italy came in third in 20.1.

“It feels great to set personal best in Kenya and at altitude. It feels like nothing happened,” said Kerley.

“Winding up my season with victory at motherland Africa is a blessing. It’s even more humbling this being my first time in Africa. ”

 

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