Omanyala relishes Paris rematch against the "Big Boys" this weekend

The first clash between the two this season came at the Rome Diamond League on June 4, where Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion endured an uncharacteristically difficult outing, fading to eighth place in 10.11 seconds. Lyles dominated the race, storming to victory in 9.88 ahead of Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (9.94) and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.95).

While Lyles had the upper hand in Rome, Omanyala insists he is upbeat and relishing the opportunity for a rematch in the French capital. “I am glad we are going to do a rematch in Paris because in Rome I had hitches at the blocks and didn’t really come out at 100 per cent,” Omanyala said. “I am looking forward to seeing how it’s going to be.”

On Saturday, Omanyala featured at the National Championships to fine-tune his form ahead of the eagerly anticipated rematch.

At the championships, which also doubled up as the 2026 Commonwealth Games trials, Omanyala was in scintillating form, successfully defending his national title after clocking 10.00 seconds. He powered past Meshack Babu (10.20), while former national record holder Mark Otieno (10.32) completed the podium places.

However, the 30-year-old delivered a below-par performance at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands, on Sunday, where he finished fifth in 10.13. That race was won by South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who crossed the line in 10.08.

Meanwhile, Lyles heads into the Paris showdown in red-hot form after shattering the world 150m record at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic on June 16. In Ostrava, Lyles blazed to 14.67 seconds to erase the previous mark of Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson (14.92), set in Florida on April 4.

South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile (14.78) and Australia’s teenage prodigy Gout Gout (14.96) trailed Lyles in Ostrava. Adding further firepower to the stacked Paris 100m field are Eseme, Simbine, Britain’s Jeremiah Azu, Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, and Americans Jordan Anthony and Trayvon Bromell.

While Omanyala may have stumbled in Rome, he still sits atop the Diamond League standings with 16 points. South Africa’s Gift Leotlela is second on 15 points, while American Kenneth Bednarek occupies third place with 11 points. Omanyala admitted that leading the Diamond League standings at this stage of the season had exceeded his expectations.

“This season for me was a season of restoration and just getting back to the top. But honestly, I am glad we are at the top," he said.

The Kenyan sprint ace believes consistency across the remaining Diamond League meetings will be crucial if he is to maintain his lead.

“The road to the final continues, so the next two months will be very crucial,” he observed. Further, Omanyala is chasing a maiden Diamond League Finals trophy. “The Diamond League final trophy is definitely on my target,” he said.

Omanyala highlighted a switch to low-altitude training as one of the key factors behind his resurgence in 2026.

“I have focused on low-altitude training since that is where I compete most,” he noted.