Paris — Kenya's history maker Ferdinand Omanyala has been clustered in a tricky semi final Heat in the men's 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
After topping his Heat in the first round where he clocked 10.08Secs, the second fastest man this season (9.79Secs) Omanyala's speed will be tested Sunday evening 8:23pm local time (9:23pm EAT) when he comes head-to-head with world leader Kishane Thompson (9.77 secs) of Jamaica in Heat 3.
Other big wigs in Heat 3, which is the last are Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo 2020 Fred Kerley of the United States of America, ever green Andre de Grasse of Canada, who is a bronze medalist from Tokyo Olympics, Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes and South African Benjamin Richardson, who has run a sub-10 this season.
Only the top two plus two fastest of the three Heats advance into the final to he held later in the night at 9:50pm, which is the last race of the day.
However, Omanyala is unperturbed by the big names, saying fastest times matter less at a championship stage.
"All these times we have set do not matter for now. What matters most is that medal that people will wear tomorrow. All these times we have run this year are null and void for now," Omanyala, who reached semis at Tokyo 2020 Games said.
He added, "I have waited for this moment for three years and I'm sure we can now wait for the next 24 hours. Let's wait and see," continued Omanyala.
"The work was done in Miramas. The essence then was to prepare for a championship. Like now, I feel like I haven't run. Come tomorrow, I will be fresh. For now, I am just going in, take recovery, some icebergs, and a bit of massage. I am happy that the semis are at 8pm, so we will get time to go and sleep," he explained.
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Heat 1, which is relatively fair, is led by on-form world champion Noah lyles of the USA alongside Jamaican Oblique Seville while the second Heat is a bit loaded with the likes of defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, Olympic 200m silver medalist from Tokyo Kenneth Bednarek, South African Akani Simbine, who has been consistent this season running sub-10's, fast rising Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, Liberia's Emmanuel Matadi and Ackeem Blake of Jamaica.
Eleven sprinters led by Omanyala have made it into the final namely; South African trio of former Africa Record holder Akani Simbine, Shaun Maswanganyi and Benjamin Richardson, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, Nigeria's duo of Favour Oghene and Kayinsola Ajayi, two Ghanaians Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Liberia's Emmanuel Matadi as well as Emmanuel Eseme from Cameroon.
-Alex Isaboke is reporting from Paris, France-
