Ferdinand Omanyala competes at the Tokyo World Championships/ HANDOUTAfter a turbulent 2025 campaign, Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, has turned his focus to full physical and mental recovery as he gears up for a revitalised 2026 season.
The 29-year-old Kenyan bowed out in the semi-finals of the World Championships in Tokyo, clocking 10.09 to finish fifth in his heat and missing out on the final. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville stormed to gold in 9.77 seconds, ahead of compatriot Kishane Thompson in 9.82 and American Noah Lyles (9.89).
Omanyala described the season as the most difficult of his career, marked by injuries and unfulfilled potential. The Tokyo disappointment informed the need to hit the reset button and stressed that patience would be the cornerstone of his comeback.
“The 2025 season presented considerable challenges, marking the most difficult one I have experienced,” he said.
“As this season concludes, my primary focus is to achieve complete physical and mental recovery. I believe that I am not behind, but rather traversing a path that demands greater patience than others.”
The sprint king had hoped to shake off his past World Championships frustrations. In Eugene in 2022, he fell short in the semifinals with a 10.14, while in Budapest in 2023, he reached the final but finished seventh with a time of 10.07, as Lyles claimed gold.
In 2025, Omanyala was also unable to produce a sub-10-second performance — a benchmark he has regularly hit in previous seasons. He opened the year at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix in South Africa, posting 10.22 in the first leg before improving to 10.08.
He won the third Uganda National Trials in 10.09, ahead of compatriots Meshack Babu and his brother Isaac Omurwa. At the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, he came painfully close to breaking the 10-second barrier, clocking 10.00 to finish second.
His Diamond League campaign reflected similar struggles, with times ranging from 10.13 in Xiamen to 10.49 in Brussels. He placed second in Rabat with a 10.05 and third at the Rome Golden Gala with 10.01. He finished third at the Kip Keino Classic in 10.07, second in Serbia with 10.25, and claimed a win in Andorf, Austria, with 10.03.
Despite the lack of sub-10s, Omanyala drew positives from the season. He pointed to his consistency, several podium finishes, and a standout moment in Atlanta, where he stormed to a new African 150m record of 14.70 at the Adidas Atlanta City Games, outpacing Bahamas’ Terrence Jones and American Mathew Boling.
He remains grateful to those who stayed in his corner, saying: “I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support I received from those who truly mattered.”
