Nairobi — African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala began his international season on an emphatic note, storming to a new meeting record in the 60m dash at the Miramas Metropole Indoor meet in France on Friday night.

The Kenyan sprint king dashed to the tape in a time of 6.52, which was a new meet record in the Miramas meet, a World Athletics Silver Label Indoor race. He lowered the earlier meet record of 6.57 and was fractions close to the world lead, which is 6.48.

He was well clear of second placed Cameroonian Eseme Emmanuel-Alobwede who clocked 6.61 while Ivoirian perennial competitor Arthur Cisse was third in 6.62.

He had earlier won his heat in 6.62 to qualify for the final, before improving his time significantly.

Other Kenyans who competed included Lydia Lagat who finished seventh un the women's 1500m in 4:15.24 while Munguti Kyumbe also finished seventh in the men's race.

In the men's 400m, Wiseman Were and Boniface Mweresa finished third and fourth, timing 48.05 and 48.61 respectively.

Omanyala next heads to the Capital Paris, for his second indoor meet next weekend.