Running News Daily

‘Let’s make history’ – American sprinter praying for historic victory against Omanyala, Tebogo & Co in Rome

The Olympics bronze medalist is keen to win in style against the likes of Ferdinand Omanyala and Letsile Tebogo at the Rome Diamond League on Friday night.

Olympics bronze medalist Fred Kerley wants to make history at the Rome Diamond League on Friday night.

Kerley is among the headline acts at the Diamond League meeting in the Italian capital as he looks to make it back-to-back wins in 100m after his victory in Silesia last weekend.

The American, known to talk big, is praying that things go even better in Rome after claiming that his win in Silesia was a “trash race.”

“Father God protect and guide on this track today let make history,” Kerley posted on X just hours to the race.

Kerley is up against a star-studded line-up that includes Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, Olympics 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, Itlian and home favourite Marcell Jacobs as well as fellow American Christian Coleman.

He will hope that lighting strikes twice after clocking 9.87 to win in Silesia ahead of Omanyala, who finished second in 9.88, and Ackeem Blake of Jamaica, whose personal best of 9.89 yielded third place, as Jacobs, clocked 9.93 for fourth place.

Kerley was not impressed by his performance in the Polish city and gave negative reactions post-race.

“Trash race but on to Rome,” Kerley started by posting on X before revealing much more in a post-race interview.

"I know the race was shi**y as hell. I just ran and not being technically sound, but I know I'm about to get an earful once I get to my phone,” he said.

What next for Kenya after Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The curtains for the 2024 Paris Olympics fell on Sunday night with Kenya ranking 17th in the world after winning 11 medals.

Despite Kenya topping the African continent with 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals, the results left a lot to be desired.

From 83 athletes competing in seven disciplines, a significant impact was expected from the Kenyan athletes and the world.

The show started with Judoka Zeddy Cherop falling 10-0 to Portugal’s Patricia Sampao in a record 22 seconds while Fencing African champion Alexandra Ndolo crushed out 13-12 to Ukranian Olena Kryvytska in her debut.

Maria Brunlehner and Ridhwan Mohamed finished 3rd and 4th in the women’s 50m freestyle and Men’s 400m freestyle heats respectively to crush out of contention for a swimming medal.

The sevens rugby team also crushed out in the group stage, after going down to Australia, Argentina and Samoa.

The women’s volleyball team booked their next flight after failing to win a single set following three identical 3-0 losses in a tough group B pool comprising Brazil, Poland and Japan.

Paris, the City of Love, had very little affection for Kenya as former world champion Julius Yego, finished a distant 5th in the javelin final with a 87.72m throw, to also bite the dust.

Africa's fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala's 100m Olympic medal dream was shattered in the semi-finals after clocking 10.08 seconds to finish 8th.

However, Kenya redeemed herself with debutant Beatrice Chebet grabbing double gold in the 5000m and 10000m women’s races.

The best performer was followed closely by Faith Kipyegon who defended her 1500m gold and added the 5000m women’s silver.

Another debutant, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, grabbed the 800m gold, while Ronald Kwemoi struck the men’s 5000m silver.

Mary Moraa, the dancing queen, grabbed the 800m bronze, same as Faith Cherotich (3000m steeplechase) and Abraham Kibiwot (3000m steeplechase).

Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto rounded up the bronze tally in the men's and women's marathons.  

Obiri failed in her quest for an Olympic medal having won silver in the women's 5000m in Tokyo, 2020 and Rio 2016 games.

History Making

Kenya will however keep pride in making history after Faith Kipyegon became the first woman to complete an Olympic hat trick after breaking her 1500m record in 3:51.29, before a fully packed iconic Stade de France. 

Debutant Beatrice Chebet was the best performer entering the history books by winning a double gold in the women's 5000m and 10000m.

The feat makes Chebet the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic 10000m gold for Kenya since the race was introduced in the 1988 Olympics.

She is the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Sifan Hassan to win the 5000m and 10000m double at the Olympic Games.

"I'm dedicating this medal to all Kenyans. I just want to hear my country is proud. This was for you, you were in my mind and heart in every lap; I might have made history but I will sleep better knowing Wananchi wataenjoy the weekend," she said.

Kenya’s legend Eliud Kipchoge failed to complete an Olympic marathon treble after dropping out of the race at the 20km mark.

Kipchoge later confirmed he won’t be running in the Los Angeles 2028 summer games.

“I felt a sharp pain in the stomach and I couldn’t continue. I'm disappointed that for the first time in my career, I failed to finish a race .” Kipchoge said.

Lady luck also smiled on Kenya after Kipyegon's 5000m silver medal was reinstated following an appeal, after a push and shove with Ethiopian nemesis, Gudaf Tsegay, had her initially disqualified.

In the 800m final, Canada appealed against Kenyan winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi's personal best of 1:41.91 in the 800m, claiming he obstructed silver medallist Marco Arop. Kenya won the appeal.

Tokyo 2020

Despite the dismal show in Paris, Kenya had bettered the 2020 Tokyo tally of 10 medals and a 19th spot finish.

The post-Covid games had challenges but Kenya grabbed four gold, four silvers and two bronze medals.

Emmanuel Korir (800m), Faith Kipyegon (1500m), Peres Jepchirhir (marathon), and Eliud Kipchoge (marathon) were the gold medalists while Hellen Obiri (5000m), Fergussin Rotich (800m), Brigid Kosgei (marathon) and Timothy Cheruiyot (1500m) won silver.

Benjamin Kigen and Hyvin Kiyeng won the men's and women's 3000m steeplechase races respectively.

Rio 2016 

In the 2016 Rio De Janeiro games, Kenya managed six gold, six silver and one bronze medal for a tally of 13 medals. 

Rio 2016 Olympics gold medalists were Jemima Sumgong in women's marathon, David Rudisha in 800m, Faith Kipyegon in 1500m, Conseslus Kipruto in 3000m steeplechase, Vivian Ceruiyot in 5000m and Eliud Kipchoge marathon.

Meanwhile, Vivian Cheruiyot (10000m); Paul Tanui (10000m); Hyvin Kiyeng (3000m steeplechase); Boniface Mucheru (400m hurdles); and Hellen Obiri (5000m) all grabbed silver, while Julius Yego managed a rare javelin silver. Margaret Wambui won bronze in women's 800m.

London 2012  

The London 2012 Summer Games saw Kenya manage 2 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze for a total of 13 medals.

Despite a cold and warm performance in the Queens land, Kenya won two gold medals to finish a distant 29th in the world rankings.

Legendary track masters Ezekiel Kemboi and David Rudisha grabbed gold in the men's 3000m and 800m races respectively.

Sally Kipyegon brought home the women's 10000m silver, while Priscah Jeptoo won the women's marathon silver medal as Vivian Cheruiyot grabbed the women's 5000m race.

Abel Kirui rounded up the silver medals haul after clinching the men’s marathon race.

Vivian Cheruiyot won bronze in the 10000m women's race, while Asbel Kiprop and Milcah Chemos clinched bronze in the men's and women’s 3000m steeplechase.

Timothy Kiptum and Pamela Jelimo clinched the men's and women's 800m race respectively while Thomas Longosiwa and Wilson Kipsang rounded off Kenya's bronze medals haul, winning the 5000m men's and women's marathon races.

What next?

As the nation awaits the Paris 2024 Games report on what worked and what didn't work, a lot will be looked into including preparations, sports science, lack of stadia and lack of funds among others.

However, one constant reminder is that Kenya must smell the coffee, lest our legacy is discarded by the improving rival nations every day.

The next Omanyala, Yego, Obiri and Kipchoge should be nurtured immediately if we are to remain world beaters in the summer games.

Beating the 2008 Beijing Summer Games remains the target, where Kenya sent a total of 46 athletes: 28 men and 18 women who brought home the best tally of six gold, four silver and six bronze medals.

The journey to the Los Angeles 2028 games starts with a new sheriff in town, CS Kipchumba Murkomen, at the helm of the Sports ministry.

Why Paris Olympic Games will be key for Omanyala career

The last time an African athlete scaled the Olympic podium in the sprints was in Atlanta in 1996 when retired Namibian great Frankie Fredricks won silvers in the men’s 100m and 200m finals.

It was a repeat of his exploits at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games, where he also won the silver double.

Ahead of the forthcoming Paris 2024 Summer Games, there is renewed optimism that a sprinter from the continent will medal either in the short or longer dash events considered to be the cream of track and field competition at the Olympics.

African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, the ninth fastest men’s 100m runner of all time, Botswana breakout starlet Letsile Thebogo and resurgent South African sprint king, Akani Simbine, have all enjoyed a solid start to the season and, more importantly, peaking at the right time.

Omanyala who holds the African record of 9.77 seconds, underlined his credentials when he won the Kenyan Olympic Trial in 9.79 which was until last week, the fastest time of the year.

Kishane Thompson, who won the men’s 100m in 9.77 at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Sunday, has supplanted Omanyala from the top of the 2024 world list, but considering the latter did it at Nairobi’s punishing elevation, there are reasons for the Kenyan to be optimistic of a medal in France.

Having burst onto the scene with his blazing time in 2021 at the height of the global pandemic, the 28-year-old, who has since won the Commonwealth and African men’s 100m, has established a reputation as one of the brazen and at times cocky top sprinter.

But that is all set to change as he prepares for his second Olympics after failing to make the final of the delayed Tokyo Summer Games.

Speaking to the media in Nairobi on Monday, Omanyala cut the determined figure of a man who is focused on the ultimate goal— not the showmanship side that has endeared him to millions of fans at home and abroad.

“Our sport humbles you; everybody who is anybody in the sport has lost a race at some point. With that, you understand that it’s not always about you winning; it’s about how humble you are; it’s just that.”

Biggest lesson

“It’s the biggest lesson that I have learned and I understand that there is pressure coming in, especially as we go to the Olympics. There are a lot of expectations,” the two-time African champion emphasised.

And indeed, lessons have been learned. In April, Omanyala had boldly predicted he would not allow American sprint heavyweight Kenny Bednarek, the Olympic 200m silver medallist, to beat him on his home track during the Absa Kip Keino Classic, the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event that went down in Nairobi.

As it turned out, Bednarek stepped down the distance to win in 9.91 as Omanyala (10.03) faded to fifth in front of a passionate home crowd, and later, the American posted a video on social media that threw shade at the Kenyan.

However, behind the scenes, the Commonwealth champion was adjusting to changing coaches, with Geoffrey Kimani, who was part of the Kenya 7s rugby technical bench, taking over at the start of the year.

Retreating quietly to his new training regime and running technique, Omanyala turned up for the Olympic Trials in June a man transformed and humbled.

“This year, I am not giving anybody any target; I am not going to promise anybody anything.”

Ferdinand Omanyala, Christian Coleman to go head-to-head in Eugene

Ferdinand Omanyala has his work cut out as he continues his Olympic build-up campaign at the Prefontaine Classic this weekend.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is not resting on his laurels as he will be in action this weekend, at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene, Oregon.

Omanyala will be competing in his third 100m race of the season, hoping to bag his first win in 2024, but that is not the main priority at the moment.

The Commonwealth Games champion had a great indoor campaign, finishing fourth in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. He then kickstarted his 100m campaign at the Kip Keino Classic, finishing fifth in the race that was won by America’s Kenny Bednarek.

The 28-year-old then proceeded to the Atlanta City Games last weekend where he finished second behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine who set a world leading time of 9.90 seconds.

He now heads to the Hayward Field in Eugene, hungry for more and will be up against a formidable field of sprinters who will also be looking to impress.

One athlete to look out for will be Christian Coleman, who will be looking to bounce back following his second-place finish at the Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai. He started his 100m campaign at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen with a win.

Another athlete to watch will be Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake who has been turning heads with his great form. Blake finished second at the Miramar Invitational before finishing third in the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen.

The 22-year-old faltered and was forced to finish fifth at the Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai and then shone on home soil with a second-place finish at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational Meet.

Others included in the field are Benjamin Azamati, the American duo of Brandon Hicklin and Brandon Carnes with another Jamaican, Sandrey Davison, also included in the field.

Sha'Carri Richardson will headline the women's 100m at the Prefontaine Classic

Track superstar Sha'Carri Richardson will headline the women's 100m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League event on 25 May at Eugene's Hayward Field.

The reigning world champion is set to make her 100m debut in the Olympic season, facing the 60m world indoor champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia and Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith of Côte d'Ivoire.

Richardson is still on the hunt for her first win of this year's Diamond League season after finishing second over 200m at the Diamond League opener in Xiamen and third seven days later in Suzhou.

Last year's Prefontaine winner, Christian Coleman, is hoping to defend his 100m title. He will face off against Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala and Jamaica's Ackeem Blake.

In the men's 200m, world silver medalist Erriyon Knighton is up against Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.

Omanyala among top sprinters to headline Prefontaine Classic

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and world indoor 60m champion Christian Coleman of the USA will go head to head at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on May 25.

Omanyala shattered the African 100m record with a lightning-fast time of 9.77 at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic, just narrowly trailing behind USA’s Trayvon Bromell, who clocked 9.76.

His dominance continued with back-to-back victories at the Kip Keino Classic in 2022 and 2023, clocking 9.85 and 9.84 respectively. 

He, however, fell short during this year’s edition placing fifth in 10.03. USA’s Kenneth Bednarek took the title in 9.91.

Coleman claimed the Diamond Trophy over 100m last year in Xiamen, China, by equaling the world lead of 9.83 set by Zharnel Hughes.

Also in the lineup is the World Indoor 60m bronze medallist Ackeem Blake of Jamaica.

In the women’s 100m, USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson will be the one to keep an eye on.

Richardson sped to victory over 100m at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, setting a PB of 10.65 to equal the championship record, and followed it by anchoring the USA to gold in the 4x100m.

She will, however, face fierce competition from World Indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia and African record-holder Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast.

The men’s 200m in Eugene will also be highly competitive as USA’s Erriyon Knighton, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Bednarek going head to head.

Knighton – who has a lifetime best of 19.49 – took silver in that discipline at last year’s World Championships, earning his second global medal before even turning 20.

Tebogo won back-to-back world U20 titles over 100m in 2021 and 2022, then claimed world 100m silver and 200m bronze in Budapest last year, just weeks after turning 20. His PB of 19.50 is just 0.01 shy of Knighton’s.

Bednarek claimed Olympic silver in 2021 and followed it with world silver in 2022. Along with Tebogo, Bednarek is one of a small number of men who have broken 10 seconds for 100m, 20 seconds for 200m and 45 seconds for 400m.

Mary Moraa confirms next assignment in the build up to the Paris 2024 Olympics

Commonwealth Games 800m champion Mary Moraa has confirmed her next destination as she builds up steadily for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Reigning World 800m champion Mary Moraa has disclosed her next stop after a fruitful outing at the African Games where she bagged a gold medal in the 400m and propelled Team Kenya to a bronze medal in the 4x400m mixed relay.

Moraa will be eyeing her maiden appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris, France and also looking for a podium finish in the event which has very strong opponents waiting for her to descend on the starting line.

The Commonwealth Games champion has confirmed participation at the Kip Keino Classic, where she intends to showcase fireworks just like last year. This year’s event will be held at the Nyayo National Stadium and the likes of Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and world leader Letsile Tebogo have already confirmed participation.

In a post on her Facebook page, Kisii Express said: “From African Games, I shift my gears to Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour.”

Moraa has been off to a good start to the season and she will hope to enjoy 2024 just like she did in 2023. The Kenyan was only beaten once in the 800m, at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting final, where she finished fourth.

In the race, Athing Mu won the trophy as Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule completed the podium.

This season, she has competed in the 400m unbeaten and her speed seems to be in perfect condition. At the Kip Keino Classic, Moraa will compete in her specialty, the two-lap race.

Ferdinand Omanyala's track rival hoping to bounce back as he eyes Olympic title

Ferdinand Omanyala's Italian track rival hopes to make a grand return this season as he gears up to defend his Olympic title in Paris, France.

Ferdinand Omanyala’s track rival Marcel Jacobs had a poor run last season due to a bout of injuries but the Italian hopes to make a strong comeback this season.

Jacobs, the reigning Olympic champion made a few changes at the end of last season where he parted ways with his coach Paolo Camossi who guided him to the 100m title at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games.

At the time, Jacobs had yet to decide on his new coach but noted that he would be leaving Rome where he had been based. Last season, he competed in four 100m races and failed to clock a sub-10 in all four and also failed to win any of the 100m races.

His final race last season was the Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića in Croatia where he finished third and he hopes to bounce back this season as he gears up to defend his Olympic title.

The Italian has also skipped the indoor tour this season, a move that is unlike him since he is usually a frequent competitor during the indoor races.

As per World Athletics, Jacobs will head straight to the outdoor season where he intends to open his season at the Ostrava Golden Spike for the first time as he works towards the European Championships on home soil.

As per World Athletics, Jacobs will head straight to the outdoor season where he intends to open his season at the Ostrava Golden Spike for the first time as he works towards the European Championships on home soil.

Noah Lyles, Ferdinand Omanyala cruise to 60m semifinal at World Indoor Championships

Noah Lyles and Ferdinand Omanyala have started their World Indoor campaign on a high, recording impressive times to proceed to the semifinal of the 60m race.

Triple World champion Noah Lyles and Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala have started their campaign at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, United Kingdom on a high.

Omanyala, competing in Heat 4, was in a class of his own as he clocked 6.52 to win ahead of Japan’s Shuhei Tada and Singapore’s Marc Louis who clocked national record times of 6.52 and 6.69 to finish second and third respectively.

On his part, two-time World Champion Lyles was also breathing fire as he led in his heat. The American, competing in Heat One, started off on a high and sprinted to the finish line, cutting the tape in 6.57.

Second-place finisher Jeff Erius of France clocked 6.63 to cross the finish line as Germany’s Alexander Askovic completed the podium in 6.66.

Heat Two was won by Sweden’s Henrik Larsson as Canada’s Malachi Murray finished second in 6.64. Turkey’s Kayhan Ozer sealed the podium.

Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme clocked a national record time of 6.54 in Heat Five with Denmark’s Simon Hansen finishing second in 6.61. Slovenia’s Anej Čurin Prapotnik finished third in 6.68.

60m world record Christian Coleman also led in his heat, clocking 6.49 to win the race ahead of the duo of Mario Burke and Akihiro Higashida.

Are periods a hinderance to better performance for female runners?

In an exclusive interview with Pulse Sports, Ferdinand Omanyala's fiancee, Laventa Amutavi opened up on whether periods affect a female runner's performance.

Being a female runner has been encompassed with different challenges like bouncing back after childbirth, hormonal imbalance, and period cramps. In the recent past, female athletes have been forced to pull out or perform poorly in major championships due to stomach cramps that are brought on by periods.

A good example of such a scenario was during the 2022 European Championships where Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita made it to the 100m women’s final.

However, Asher-Smith was forced to withdraw from the race and Neita was not too quick to bag a gold medal, both because of cramps. Later, Asher-Smith revealed hers to be a symptom of her period and shared her frustration at its impact on her sport.

However, such case scenarios do not apply to every woman and some just treat those four or five days of their periods like normal days and maybe they would just adjust their training routines.

Ferdinand Omanyala’s fiancée, Laventa Amutavi, argues that her period days do not affect how she performs. Speaking to Pulse Sports, she insisted that it is not mentally draining since she has mastered the art of handling such days.

“It’s not challenging at all because I train even on days when I’m having my period…I can’t boycott my training because I’m on my period.

“I’m very lucky because I don’t experience cramps so I might not be able to understand the turmoil that women who have severe cramps go through.

“Mostly, I don’t think cramps adversely affect sports people because, in my years in the sport, I’ve never heard people complain of severe cramps that force them to miss their training.

“I also think it’s because we are always very active so the effects and very minimal and the pain is manageable and it can’t stop someone from running their daily activities,” Amutavi said.

Amutavi added that her coach, Geoffrey Kimani, who is also Omanyala’s coach advised that during the time of a woman’s period, she is required to do very light training.

This is because women tend to lose a lot of nutrients during this time and heavy training will leave them weaker.

“During periods, my coach told me women tend to lose a lot of nutrients through the blood. So, during this period, an athlete is not supposed to train hard,” she added.

She also insisted that during competitions, periods should not be a hindrance to how an athlete performs.

“During a championship, you just compete…you need to take the safety measures to make sure you are okay and step on that starting line.

“It’s not a big deal…like at the World Championships, you can’t withdraw from the race due to that especially when you have made it to the final,” she said.

According to a study by Runner’s World, most women are keenly aware that the cramps menstruation can bring and elite athletes are not immune. Top Great Britain marathoner Aly Dixon says her cramps are so bad they have often left her curled into a fetal position.

“I’ve been very lucky that, in the last few years, races have fallen at the right time in my cycle. I’ve found that I can race quite well on day three, but the previous four days are not so good.

“I always try to make day one an easy or a rest day, as I often suffer with cramps so bad I can’t move from a curled-up ball on the sofa.

“I also get an achy back and heavy quads in the two days leading up to my period, which makes running hard a bit tougher, but my sessions still tend to go well,” she said.

While cramps might be horrible, they don’t need to ruin your race, and exercise itself can help to alleviate them. Paula Radcliffe proved the point when she broke the world marathon record in Chicago in 2002, despite suffering period cramps during the latter stages of the race.

Meanwhile, a journalist from the Mayo Clinic also asked Dr. Petra Casey about an elite athlete or some women who exercise a lot and tend to miss their periods.

“That is called hypothalamic amenorrhea, and what that means is that the hormones that are produced in the brain and then kind of cascade down to signal hormones that are produced in the ovary are not produced.

“So, GnRH, the gonadotropic releasing hormone that is produced, triggers the follicular stimulating hormone, and the luteinizing hormone that is produced in the ovary, that signal does not translate to production of estrogen and progesterone, so the woman loses her periods. They may become irregular initially and then they may stop completely.

“The trigger for that has been studied, and it’s still a little unclear whether it’s body fat percentage, whether it’s weight, whether it’s cortisol levels that stimulate a decrease in GnRH, based on stress and the intensity of workouts.

“All of that is a little bit unclear, but, at the end of the day, a woman will not have her period if she is too lean, and she may be working out too intensely for too long. Many women athletes are trying to become quite lean, because, in endurance sports, it’s advantageous to be lighter,” she said.

Usain Bolt remains undaunted about his world records being broken

The world's fastest man Usain Bolt remains unfazed about any athlete breaking his two world records.

Double (100m and 200m) world record holder Usain Bolt remains unfazed about anyone breaking his world records.

The fastest man in the whole world set the 100m world record of 9.58 and the 200m world record of 19.19 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany and they are yet to be shattered.

Many sprinters have been bullish about breaking the world records but Bolt believes it will be difficult to break his records. Some of the athletes targeting the world records include triple world champion Noah Lyles, Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, and former World champion Fred Kerley.

Kerley has a Personal Best time of 9.76 while Omanyala, the reigning Commonwealth Games Champion has a Personal Best of 9.77. On his part, Lyles ran his Personal Best of 9.83 in the semifinal of the 100m at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya WhatsApp Channel for more news.

“I knew I was going to break the world record because I was in such good shape at the time and I was running great throughout the season. Not worried about any of them. 

"I think the hundred is going to be harder because it’s quicker and if you make a mistake during the race you’re not going to get it. It’s a lot more technical so I think maybe the hundred is going to go last,” Bolt said in an interview with World Athletics.

The multiple Olympic champion also commented on still being known as the fastest man ever as well as his relationship with the fans over the years.

“It’s a great title to have. It’s something that I enjoy hearing and I enjoy knowing. It’s always been so beautiful for me. They give me so much energy.

"I remember even through the World Championships in the pandemic I was like I could not compete in this. By myself in the stadium, I could not because I live so much for the energy and the vibes,” he said.

Ferdinand Omanyala shares secret on how to achieve top-three finish in a race

The African record-holder has shared a tip on how an athlete can make it to the podium.

Reigning Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala has explained what it takes to get on the podium of any assignment as an athlete.

The 27-year-old has been the epitome of hard work, sharing snippets of his training as he gears up for the World Indoor Championships and the Olympic Games among other events.

Sharing a training video on his X (Twitter) handle, the African record holder captioned it saying: “Consistency to performance is what pressure is to diamond....it takes lots of work across many training variables to finally step on that podium!

"The most important thing is getting back up after a fall. If it does not kill you it will make you stronger.”

Meanwhile, the African champion has enjoyed a great 2023 season, with the only major setback being the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

At the global showpiece, Omanyala was off to a good start in the heats and semifinal but faltered in the final where he ended up finishing seventh.

However, he recorded big wins including becoming the first Kenyan to win the Diamond League Meeting in the 100m in Monaco. Omanyala also finished third at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting final.

He also ended the season as the fourth-fastest sprinter in the world behind triple World champion Noah Lyles, Christian Coleman, and Zharnel Hughes.

Ferdinand Omanyala wants to do both the 100m and 200m at Paris Olympic Games

Ferdinand Omanyala has disclosed that he will be adding the 200m to the cart next season as he looks to double at the Olympic Games.

Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala is considering adding 200m to his roster as he gears up for the Olympic Games in Paris, France, next year.

Omanyala, who just changed coaches recently told the Olympics' official portal that his new coach, Geoffrey Kimani wants him to run a couple of 200m races and even the 400m if possible.

He will be competing in the half-lap race in a couple of meets to gauge his form and see if he could double on the global stage.

“My current coach says we must do the 200m and he also mentioned the 400m somewhere…I don’t know how that will turn out.

"I’m looking at the 200m next year and I’ll do a couple of meets and then see where I am but you know…we shall make that decision when I run a couple of 200m races. If I’m too comfortable, then I’ll push it through,” Omanyala said.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old has competed in a couple of 200m races but is yet to make a mark in any premier global competition.

During his international outings, he competed in the 200m at the 2022 Castiglione International Meeting, Stadio Zecchini in Italy, and won the race.

Omanyala also competed at the 2021 3rd MoC Grand Prix where he finished third and also won the 2022 ASA Athletics Grand Prix 3.

Ferdinand Omanyala ditches his coach weeks after Fred Kerley and Marcel Jacobs did the same

Ferdinand Omanyala has changed his coach as he gears up for the 2024 busy season.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has joined former World champion Fred Kerley and Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs in changing coaches ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Omanyala was initially working with coach Duncan Ayiemba. Still, he has since started working with coach Geoffrey Kimani as he gears up for the Olympic Games and a busy 2024 season.

Speaking to Pulse Sports Kenya exclusively, Omanyala shared that he will only be working with Kimani and he extended a hand of gratitude to Ayiemba who has also played a vital role in his career.

He said: “I will be working only with Geoffrey Kimani. I really appreciate what Duncan has done over the years.”

His new coach, Kimani, shared his excitement to have taken up the role of coaching Omanyala. In a post on his X (Twitter) handle, he said: “New Dawn...Back on track, and greatly honoured to take up the role of Sprints Coach to Ferdinand Omanyala through a busy 2024 season.

We will be kicking off the season with the World Indoors in March 2024... Onto the hard work!”

Omanyala has already started light training ahead of the Olympic Games where he has promised to improve on his World Championships performance.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old has had a quite mixed season in 2023. He started off with an indoor tour which was a success.

He also competed in the Diamond League Meetings where he finished in the podium bracket in all the races. Omanyala also made history as the first Kenyan to win the 100m at the Diamond League Meeting when he won the Meeting in Monaco.

At the World Championships, he had a good start in the Heats and semifinal and faltered in the final to finish seventh. He has promised to work harder and not disappoint his fans ahead of beginning the 2024 season.

Omanyala sets new target for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has set a new target for the forthcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

The African 100m record holder said he is targeting gold at the Paris Olympic Games as he heads into the season with great motivation.

The Paris 2024 Olympics are scheduled for July 26 to August 11 and it is expected to host 10,500 athletes.

The world number nine said this during the launch of an Athletics Centre  of Excellence at St. Joseph’s Boys national school on Monday.

The sprinter also added that his next target was to run a time of 9.66 seconds but was quick to add that he will have to work hard to attain that threshold. 

 “I am going to the Olympic season with great motivation. If you see me win that gold, be happy because it’s coming home. My next aim is to run 9.66 then after that 9.55,” he said.

Omanyala also said he would be opening a sprints school to help train young upcoming athletes so they may be able to grace the international stage.

“We are starting a school for sprints next year and I am pleased to announce that St. Joseph's will be the first benefactor of this program as we aim to help the youth horn their talents in athletics,” he noted.

The sprinter also urged young upcoming athletes to be careful of the managers they sign for, as there have been several cases of managers mistreating athletes and leading them to poverty.  

“There are those fine lines in a contract you must go through. Most athletes have suffered this fate so you have to be keen. Those little details are very important,” he said.

Omanyala came into the limelight in 2015 when he won 100m in a time of 10.37 secs during the national Olympics trials but failed to attain the qualifying standard, which was 10.16 secs at the time.

He would later on go to win the national title in 2019 and later on in March 30 2021, he set a national record of 10.01 seconds in the 100m after winning a meeting at Yabatech Sport Complex in Lagos, Nigeria.

In 2022, he won his first international championships, with victories in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games, and African Athletics Championships.

Omanyala is the African record holder and the ninth-fastest man of all time in the event after clocking a time of 9.77 seconds on September 18, 2021 in Nairobi. He is also the first Kenyan to reach the semi-finals of the 100m at the Olympics stage. 

The sprinter took part at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest,  Hungary, last August finishing seventh in the final in a time of 10.07 seconds.

Omanyala further urged young athletes to be careful of the doctors, who  they put their trust in as he has unknowingly been a victim of a doping. 

Following his doping offence in 2017, Omanyala received a 14-month suspension.

He had tested positive for the prohibited substance betamethasone, after undergoing treatment for his back injury which he incurred during training.

Athletics Kenya (AK) Trans Nzoia county official, Evans Rono urged the youth to take up athletics as it was a highly lucrative career.

“Athletics is highly paying. Omanyala runs for just nine seconds and walks away with millions. I want to challenge you to embrace athletics because it is a high paying sport."

Why Letsile Tebogo is unfazed going to the Prefontaine Classic despite facing tough opposition

Botswana’s wonderkid Letsile Tebogo will be heading to the Diamond League Final Meeting in Eugene, USA under no pressure despite facing off against some of the strongest 100m sprinters in the world.

The 20-year-old made history as Africa’s first man to win a medal in the 100m at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He beat some of the greatest athletes who will be going to Eugene with revenge written all over their faces.

However, the youngster is not under the pump to deliver since he has achieved most of his goals for the 2023 season.

Speaking to Business Weekly, his coach Kebonyemodisa ‘Dose’ Mosimanyane assured his fans that the youngster will go to the final of the Diamond League Meeting under no pressure.

“We have reached our goals for this season. So, going into the DL finals, there’s no need to burden ourselves with unnecessary pressure," he said.

"Our primary focus is on Tebogo’s well-being for the upcoming Olympics in Paris. That’s why we’re avoiding undue pressure.

"While we’re not suggesting we don’t aim to perform well at the DL finals, we want to ensure that we don’t add unnecessary stress."

The coach insisted that Tebogo’s participation in the finals is primarily for enjoyment and to conclude the season on a high note. After the event, he will return to Botswana to rest before coming back to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

At the Diamond League, he will face off against double World Champion Noah Lyles, who beat him to gold 100m, in Budapest, Hungary.

He will also lock horns with Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala who exited the World Championships empty-handed. Omanyala will be hoping to end his season on a high. The two pose as potential threats to the wonderkid but he remains still.

David Rudisha reveals his favorite track athletes in Budapest

Rudisha has already spotted some of his favorite athletes who he believes are the future of the track.

World 800m record holder David Rudisha is currently in Budapest for the World Championships, this time around not as an athlete but as an ambassador.

So far in his stay there, the two-time Olympic 800m champion has already spotted some of his favorite athletes who he believes are the future of the track.

Speaking to Citius Mag, Rudisha disclosed that Botswana’s wonder kid Letsile Tebogo and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville. Tebogo on Sunday night, August 20 made history to become the first African to win a medal in the 100m at the World Championships.

In the men’s 100m final, Seville finished fourth behind Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes. World 200m champion Noah Lyles reigned supreme in the race. Apart from finishing fourth in the final, Seville also equaled his Personal Best time of 9.86 during the Heats of the event.

“We have very strong young athletes who are taking over the stage…every day is full of surprises. Letsile Tebogo was just coming from the junior category and he is doing so well at the moment.

We also have Seville from Jamaica who is very impressive. He has run fast times here and I’m impressed. These ones are now the future of the sport,” Rudisha said.

He added that it is also amazing to see Africa doing well in the sprints and he singled out Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala.

Even though he failed to impress at the World Championships after finishing seventh, Rudisha lauded him for placing Kenya on the world map.

“He is really doing well and these are some of the athletes we admire since they are the future,” Rudisha said.

Coach Kirwa believes Kipkirui will step into Kandie's shoes

National team head coach Julius Kirwa has exuded confidence in Ishmael Kipkurui's potential to effectively step into the shoes of Kibiwott Kandie at the upcoming  2023 World Athletics Championships.

Kandie, who had punched a ticket to fly the country's flag in the 5000m, withdrew from the team owing to a nagging hamstring injury.

"We made the changes last week. Ishmael is in good form and he has proved himself as a junior athlete. I'm confident he'll live up to expectations," Kirwa said in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

The Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres bronze medallist will miss the World Championships for the second time in a row after staying out of Oregon 22.

Last year, the World Half Marathon silver medallist, almost sealed a slot on the Kenyan plane to Oregon after clinching the national trials but failed to crack the qualifying time.

He last held forte for the nation at the 44th World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia where he finished fifth. His most recent race was in Germany in April during the Adizero Road to Records 10km race, where he finished second in 26:53.

He secured a berth in the men’s 10,000m team despite finishing fourth during the national trials.

“I was in camp for a week when the team reported and training was going on well. I tried to persevere for some days while training but there was no change hence the break to avoid worsening it," said Kandie.

While regretting the unfortunate turn of events, Kandie vowed to bounce back stronger at the World Half Marathon Championships that will be held in Riga, Latvia on October 1.

“I know a lot of people are disappointed I'll not be traveling with the rest of the team to Budapest, especially after I experienced a similar fate last year when I also failed to make it to Oregon," Kandie stated.

Meanwhile, Kirwa has said he is satisfied with the amount of effort expended in practice even as the team continues to put the final touches ahead of their departure to the Hungarian capital.

"We have trained well enough and all the athletes are in good shape. We are expecting a good performance in Budapest later in the month," Kirwa said.

The seasoned gaffer also tipped Kenyan sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala to steer the country to unprecedented glory.

"He is in his peak this season and I have no doubt in my mind he'll be pulling off a major surprise at the World Championships," Kirwa said. 

Ferdinand Omanyala Confident Ahead of World Athletics Championships: Nothing but Gold

In the last few years, Ferdinand Omanyala has become one of the best sprinters in the world and is looking to cement that in August at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Hungary.

He comfortably qualified for the event and will face stern competition from the Americans as he seeks to win one of the most important titles in his career.

The 27-year-old is Africa's fastest man but has yet to win a Diamond League race so far this season. He will take part in the Monaco Meet later this month. He recently clocked 9.85 seconds to win the national trials. Unfortunately, he will be the only man to represent Kenya in the 100m race.

The Commonwealth Games champion has a personal best of 9.77 seconds and wants to run 9.60 seconds. Only three men in history have run under 9.70 seconds, Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Tyson Gay, per World Athletics. Therefore, it will be an uphill task for the Kenyan star.

Omanyala's mindset heading to Budapest

Kenya is known for their middle and long-distance running, producing world-beaters for decades. Omanyala will make history if he beats defending world and Olympic champion Fred Kerley to win gold in Budapest.

He is confident going to the showpiece.

Kenya has never won a medal in the 100m race, and Omanyala will be the first if he wins it.

Omanyala leads Diamond League standings

Sports Brief previously reported on Omanyala being on course to qualify for the Diamond League finals, with the Commonwealth champion leading the standings after five legs.

He raced in his second-ever Diamond League race against an elite field in Rabat on May 28. He then followed it up with back-to-back races in Florence, Italy, and in Paris, France.

Omanyala - Africa's fastest man - took podium places in all three races. He came in third in Morocco before claiming two consecutive second-place finishes in Italy and France.

Top sprinter and African champion among latest Kenyans banned for doping

African 800 meters champion Jarinter Mwasya and World Under-20 3,000m silver medalist Zena Jemutai are among 20 athletes suspended by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) as the crisis in the country deepens.

Top sprinter Samuel Imeta is also among the list after allegedly testing positive for banned anabolic steroids in a meeting at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on February 24.

In that event in the 100m, he had clocked a surprising 9.94sec to finish second behind team-mate and African champion Ferdinand Omanyala.

World Athletics did not ratify the times in the race due to technical problems, but Imeta’s performance seemed to suggest Kenya had found another top sprinter after Omanyala.

It represented a major step up in form for Imeta, an officer in the Kenyan Army, after being knocked out in the semi-finals of the 100m at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

He was a part of the Kenyan 4x100m quartet that clocked a national record of 38.26 at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event in Botswana’s capital Gaborone, which qualified them for this year’s World Championships in Budapest.

That performance will be wiped out if Imeta is found guilty of doping.

The samples of the 26-year-old Mwasya, winner of the 800m at last year's African Championships in Saint Pierre in Mauritius, tested positive for several banned substances, including blood boosting drug erythropoietin.

Mwasya also competed for Kenya at last year's World Athletics Championships in Eugene and the Commonwealth Games, but failed to reach the final at either event.

Jemutai tested positive for the prohibited substance triamcinolone acetonide, a synthetic corticosteroid medication.

The 20-year-old had finished second at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi.

In March, she ran 31min 03sec for 10 kilometres to win the Villa de Laredo event in Spain. 

Others facing bans are Hannah Mwangi, winner of the 400m hurdles at the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, and distance runner Agnes Mumbua, who finished first in the 15 kilometres du Puy en Velay in France in February.

The latest revelations again illustrate the depth of the doping problem in Kenya and casts doubts over the performances of other athletes from the country.

Last year, the country narrowly avoided a ban from international athletics after vowing to tackle the problem.

David Howman, chair of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), claimed they are committed to working with Kenya to ensure that happens.

Last month, the AIU held a strategy meeting in Nairobi with ADAK and Athletics Kenya, while also running an online education seminar for athletes from the country.

Athletics Kenya have pledged to being committed to the war against doping and are working with the AIU to launch an operation involving criminal investigators and medical authorities to identify and prosecute anyone involved.

The Kenyan Government has also provided $5 million (£4 million/€4.6 million) worth of funding as part of the country's commitment to cracking down on drug cheats.

Faith Kipyegon smashes women’s 1500m world record in Florence

Kenyan Faith Kipyegon smashed the women’s 1500m world record, clocking 3 minutes, 49.11 seconds at a Diamond League meet in Florence, Italy, on Friday.

Kipyegon, a two-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion, took 96 hundredths of a second off Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba‘s world record from 2015. Kipyegon began the day as the second-fastest woman in history at 3:50.37.

The 29-year-old was already the most decorated female miler in history, the only one with four global 1500m titles. Her Olympic gold medals in 2016 and 2021 were separated by a 22-month maternity leave from competition (that included 12 months without running).

Kipyegon was the eighth of nine children growing on a farm in the Kenyan Rift Valley. She was a soccer player at age 14 when she lined up for a one-kilometer run in PE class, according to World Athletics.

“I won that race by 20 meters,” Kipyegon said, according to World Athletics in 2016. “It is only then I knew I could run fast and be a good athlete.”

In 2010, a barefooted Kipyegon placed fourth in the world cross country championships junior race as, at age 16, the youngest finisher in the top 21. The next year, she won it. The year after that, she made her Olympic debut at age 18. By 2015, Jenny Simpson, arguably the best American miler in history, had a nickname for her: “The Sniper,” for her ability to run people down in the final lap.

She ran her last lap on Friday in under 59 seconds.

Next year, Kipyegon can become the second person to win the same individual Olympic track race three times, joining Usain Bolt. She said last year that she may shift to the 5000m after the 2024 Paris Games, according to Olympics.com.

Also in Florence, world champion Fred Kerley extended a year-plus win streak in the men’s 100m, prevailing in 9.94 seconds over Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (10.04) and American Trayvon Bromell (10.09).

10 Reasons to Start Following Track and Field This Year

The 2023 season should be full of record-breaking performances from the sport’s biggest stars. Here are the most important things to know. 

Track is back, and if the results from the indoor season and early outdoor meets are any indication, it should be another year of eye-popping results around 400-meter ovals this summer.

Why is track and field relevant to the average recreational runner?

Perhaps you’re running some of the same distances in your training and racing. Or maybe you have a connection to some of the events from your youth, days in gym class or on the playground. From a human performance perspective, no sport showcases the all-out speed, red-line endurance, max power, dynamic agility, and meticulous bodily control as track and field does.

Here’s a primer on the most awe-inspiring athletes and events of this summer’s track season. Because, come on: with a sport that includes events as multifaceted as the pole vault, as primal as the shot put, and as wild as the 3,000-meter steeplechase—a 1.8-mile race with 28 fixed barriers to hurdle and seven water pits to jump—what’s not to like?

One of the many things that makes track and field so special is that it’s one of the most diverse sports on the planet, both culturally and athletically.

Last summer, athletes from a record 29 different countries earned medals in the 25 different running, jumping, and throwing events at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

At the highest level, there are athletes of all shapes and sizes from every culture and socioeconomic background. While there certainly are racial and cultural stereotypes that need dissolving and vast inequality among competing countries, from a performance point of view the sport is largely meritocratic, based on the time or distance achieved in a given competition.

Watching American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone masterfully win the 400-meter hurdles in a world-record time last summer in front of a deafening crowd at Hayward Field in Eugene was a riveting experience. It was vastly different than watching Grenada’s Anderson Peters win the javelin world title with a career-best throw of 90.54 meters on his final attempt to beat India’s Neeraj Chopra, but both had edge-of-your-seat excitement, athletic excellence, and cultural significance.

One of the knocks against track and field in recent years is that it hasn’t done enough to attract casual fans the way professional football, basketball, hockey, and soccer have. Following the On Track Fest, the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix on May 26-27 in Los Angeles is trying to up the ante by combining a mix of elite-level competition, an interactive fan festival, and top-tier musical performances.

Billed as the one of the deepest track meets ever held on U.S. soil, it will feature a star-studded 400-meter face-off featuring Americans Michael Norman, the reigning world champion, and Kirani James, a three-time Olympic medalist from Grenada, and a women’s 100-meter hurdles clash with world champion Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, Olympic silver medalist Keni Harrison of the U.S., and Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.

Saturday’s action will be broadcast live on NBC Sports from 4:30 P.M. to 6 P.M. ET and be followed by a concert event called the Legends Jam, which will include appearances from some legendary athletes and be headlined by Grammy-winning singer Judith Hill.

American sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson will be racing the 100-meter dash at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix. You probably remember her for her perceived failures more than the astounding times she’s actually achieved on the track.

Two years ago, the sprinter from Dallas blew away the field in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a 10.86 effort, but then she was famously suspended after testing positive for cannabis (which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances) and missed the Tokyo Olympics as a result. (She admitted using the drug to cope with the pressure of qualifying for the Olympics while also mourning the recent death of her biological mother.)

Then last year, despite strong early season performances, Richardson failed to make the finals of the 100-meter or 200-meter at the U.S. championships, so she missed out on running in the first world championships held on American soil.

This year, the 23-year-old sprinter appears to be locked in and better than ever, posting a world-leading 10.76 100-meter time on May 5 in Doha (she also ran an eye-popping 10.57 with an over-the-limit tailwind on April 9 in Florida) and posted the second-fastest time in the 200-meter (22.07) on May 13 at a meet in Kenya.

If she keeps it all together, expect Richardson to finally contend with elite Jamaican sprinters Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100 and 4×100-meter relay in August at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

A few years ago, American sprinter Fred Kerley was on his way to becoming one of the world’s best 400-meter runners. But he wanted more than that. What he really had his heart set on was becoming the world’s fastest man, a moniker that goes with the most dominant sprinter in the 100-meter dash.

Ignoring doubters, Kerley retooled his training and earned the silver medal in the 100-meter at the Tokyo Olympics (.04 seconds behind Italy’s Marcell Jacobs) and then continued his ascent last year by winning the U.S. championships (in 9.76, the sixth-fastest time in history) and world championships (9.86).

The 28-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, also became one of just two other runners (along with American Michael Norman and South African Wayde van Niekerk) to ever run sub-10 seconds in the 100-meter, sub-20 seconds in the 200-meter, and sub-44 seconds in the 400-meter. So far this year, Kerley has two of the four fastest 100-meter times of the season, including a speedy 9.88 on May 21 in Japan.

After trading barbs on social media this spring, Kerley and Jacobs are expected to face off in an epic 100-meter showdown on May 28 at a Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, marking the first time the Olympic gold medalist and the world champion in the men’s 100m face off since the 2012 Olympic final, when Jamaican Usain Bolt beat countryman Yohan Blake. American Trayvon Bromell, the silver medalist at last year’s world championships, is also in the field, so it should be an extraordinary tilt.

If you’re a gambler, bet on Kerley to win that one and eventually get close to Bolt’s 9.58 world record. (To do so, he’ll be running faster than 26 miles per hour!) But don’t count out Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, the early world leader (9.84), or fellow American sub-9.9 guys Bromell, Norman, Christian Coleman, and Noah Lyles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships on August 20, in Budapest. Depending on which three Americans join Kerley (who has an automatic qualifier) at the world championships, it’s actually quite likely the U.S. could sweep the top four spots in the 100 in Budapest.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the world’s top track and field stars competing live in the U.S., this is the year to do it. The May 26-27 USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix meet and June 3-4 Portland Track Festival are part of what might be the mosst compelling outdoor track season ever held on U.S. soil.

If you’re looking for an athlete to marvel at, start with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympics in 2021 and World Athletics Championships last summer. She’s been one of the sport’s rising stars since she was a teenager and yet she’s only 23. Her trajectory is still rising—especially since she moved to Los Angeles to train under coach Bob Kersee. Driven by her strong faith, McLaughlin-Levrone is the personification of hard work, grace and competitiveness.

This year she’ll temporarily step away from her primary event to show off her pure sprinting prowess when she opens her season in a “flat” 400-meter race at the Diamond League meet in Paris on June 9. Her personal best in the 400-meter is 50.07 seconds, set when she was a freshman at the University of Kentucky, but she clocked a speedy 50.68 while running over hurdles, en route to a world-record setting win at last summer’s world championships.

Her best 400-meter split as part of a 4×400-meter relay is 47.91, so it’s within reason to think she could be one of several runners to challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 set in 1985 by East German Marita Koch. Because McLaughlin-Levrone has an automatic qualifier to the world championships in the 400-meter hurdles, she will likely run the open 400-meter at the U.S. championships and decide after the meet which one she’ll focus on.

American 800-meter ace Athing Mu has looked unbeatable for the past several years as she won Olympic gold in the event at the Tokyo Olympics and last year’s world championships. In fact, she has been unbeatable, having won 13 straight races since she dropped out of a mile race at the Millrose Games in January 2022. Going back to 2020 (when she was a senior in high school) and 2021 (during her one season at Texas A&M), she’s finished first in 51 of her past 53 races (relays included), with her only loss being a narrow runner-up finish to Kaelin Roberts in the 400-meter at the 2021 NCAA indoor championships.

Mu, who is also coached by Kersee and trains with McLaughlin-Levrone, seems to be the most likely athlete to challenge the women’s 800-meter world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983 by the Czech Republic’s Jarmila Kratochvílová. It’s the longest standing record in track and field, and only two runners have come within a second of it in the past 15 years. Her personal best of 1:55.04 is an American record and the eighth-fastest time in history. She’s still only 20 years old, so she has many years to keep improving and other historic opportunities ahead of her.

Mu said earlier this year she’d like to try a 400-800-meter double at an Olympics or world championships if the schedule permits—it’s only been done once successfully by Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena at the 1976 Games—but her coach has said she might attempt a 800-1,500-meter double next year at the Paris Olympics.

This year, Mu will run the 1,500 meters at the USATF Championships in July, but will likely defend her 800-meter title at the world championships in Budapest, as well as potentially running on the U.S. women’s 4×400-meter relay and the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay (with McLaughlin-Levrone) for an opportunity to win three gold medals in a single championships.

With apologies to quarterback extraordinaire Patrick Mahomes, gymnastics all-arounder Simone Biles, and skiing superstar Mikela Shiffrin, pole vaulter Armand Duplantis just might be the most dynamically talented athlete in the world. That’s because he’s the world’s most dominant athlete (and has set six world records) in arguably the most demanding discipline, not only in track and field but quite possibly in any sport. No sport discipline involves such a dynamic combination of speed, power, precision and agility, and Duplantis, who is only 23, is already the greatest of all-time.

Prove me wrong or watch him set his latest world record (6.22 meters or 20 feet, 5 inches) at an indoor meet on February 25 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. That’s the equivalent of vaulting onto the roof of a two-story building, and in his case, often with room to spare.

Duplantis, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, to athletic parents with Swedish and Finnish heritage, represents Sweden in international competitions. He started pole vaulting at age three, set his first of 11 age-group world-best marks at age seven, and won an NCAA title in 2019 as a freshman competing for LSU before turning pro.

All indications are that North Carolina State junior Katelyn Tuohy could become the next American running star. All she has done since she was young is win races and break records.

After winning the NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter a year ago, she won the NCAA cross country title in November. During the indoor track season this past winter, she set a new collegiate mile record (4:24.26) and won both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter title at the NCAA indoor championships in March. On May 7, the 21-year-old from Thiells, New York, broke the NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter record by 17 seconds, clocking 15:03.12 at the Sound Running On Track Fest.

Tuohy will be running both the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter at the NCAA East Regional May 24-27 in Jacksonville, Florida, with the hopes of eventually advancing to the finals of both events at the June 7-10 NCAA Division I championship meet in Austin, Texas.

University of Arkansas junior Britton Wilson is a top collegiate star who is ready for prime time at the pro level. She won the 400-meter in a world-leading and collegiate record time of 49.13 in mid-May at the SEC Championships, where she also won the 400-meter hurdles (53.23) in a world-leading time. The 22-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, was the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles at last year’s U.S. championships and fifth in the world championships, and could contend for a spot on Team USA in either event at the July 6-9 U.S. championships.

Kerley and Lyles are expected to square off in a 200-meter race at the USATF New York Grand Prix meet on June 24 at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City. There are also two high-level Puma American Track League meets in Tennessee—the Music City Track Carnival June 2 in Nashville and the Ed Murphey Classic August 4-5 in Memphis—and two Under Armour Sunset Tour meets organized by Sound Running on July 22 in Los Angeles and July 29 in Baltimore.

The best U.S. meet of the year, though, will be the USATF Outdoor Championships held July 6-9 in Eugene, Oregon, where American athletes will be vying for top-three finishes to earn a chance to compete for Team USA at the 2023 World Athletics Championships August 19-27 in Budapest.

The U.S. season will culminate with the September 16-17 Pre Classic in Eugene, Oregon, a two two-day meet that will double as the finals of the international Diamond League circuit and should include many of the top athletes who will be representing their countries in next summer’s Paris Olympics. (And if you want to see the country’s top high school athletes run unfathomable times for teenagers, check out the Brooks PR Invitational on June 14 in Seattle, Washington.)

At the June 2 Diamond League meet in Rome, Italy, the men’s field in the 5,000-meter run will have what might be the fastest field ever assembled, with 13 runners who have personal best times of 12:59 or faster.

The field will be headlined by Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who lowered the world record to 12:35.36 in Monaco three years ago. (That’s a pace of 4:03 per mile!). But it will also include Kenya’s Jacob Krop (12:45.71) and Nicholas Kipkorir (12:46.33), Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (12:46.79), American Grant Fisher (12:46.79), Canadian Mohammed Ahmed (12:47.20), and Guatemalan-American Luis Grijalva (13:02.94), among others. With a big prize purse at stake and pacesetters ramping up the speed from the start, it should be a race for the ages.

African 100m record holder pledges to plant 1 million trees in 2023

African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya has signed on to an initiative to personally plant one million trees in the 2023 track season. The Kenyan news outlet Nation reported that Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 100m, discussed his tree-planting plans at a ceremony on Friday ahead of the Kip Keino Classic meet in Nairobi. 

Omanyala (whose 100m PB of 9.77 seconds is the fastest in African history) has been working on his tree-planting project since the start of 2023. He is working in tandem with Athletics Kenya, which has reportedly engaged in similar initiatives surrounding climate change and air quality. Jack Tuwei, Athletics Kenya’s president, told Nation that both climate change and air quality have negative effects on sport, which prompted the organization to act. 

Omanyala told the press that he hopes more athletes will support this campaign. “I’m aiming to plant one million trees this season, and my plea to the other athletes and anyone supporting sports is to join the campaign, because this is what we need as sports men and women,” he said.

He continued, saying, “by planting trees, the community is also set to benefit from clean air.” This is Omanyala’s main reason for setting out on his project of planting one million trees, adding that he wants to “fill every space available [in Kenya] with trees.” While he is only focused on working in Kenya, Omanyala acknowledged the global issues presented by climate change, saying it is “a worldwide concern.” 

A day after his tree-planting ceremony, Omanyala raced in front of a home crowd at the Kip Keino Classic. He beat Americans Kenny Bednarek and Marvin Bracy-Williams to the line, running a world-leading time of 9.84 seconds to take the win. Bednarek finished in second in 9.98 and Bracy-Williams crossed the line in 10.03. 

Kenyan Samuel Imeta eyes Budapest glory despite WA ruling out his time

Kenyan sprinter, Samuel Imeta reckons he has sufficiently honed his act to deliver a vintage performance at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The 24-year-old Kenya Defence Forces officer said he drew great inspiration from his classic execution at the second Athletics Kenya track and field meeting held at Nyayo Stadium on February 26.

Imeta blazed to a phenomenal second-place finish in the event’s blistering final, clocking an impressive 9.94 to wrap up 0.13 seconds behind Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala.

Both athletes exceeded the 10.00 threshold established by World Athletics in August 2022 for the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

However, the global governing body failed to approve the time recorded by either athlete, blaming a malfunction with the wind measurement apparatus at Nyayo Stadium.

WA asserted that the times set by Omanyala and Imeta could not fairly be expected given the recorded headwind of -4.8m/s

Imeta said he is not going to let this setback deter him from registering a masterstroke performance in Budapest.

“I’m so excited to have managed an improved personal best. I thank God, my coaches and my training mates for their contribution to the outstanding performance,” Imeta said.

The career soldier from Mabanga in Bungoma county said training alongside Commonwealth Games champion, Omanyala has catapulted him to new heights.

He has issued a warning to the sprint star, telling him to prepare for an abrasive duel in their next encounter.

“I was thrilled with the race’s result. Competing against an athlete of Omanyala’s caliber who holds the African record and is the Commonwealth champion wasn’t going to be simple. “I am now fired up and Omanyala will have to work hard to beat me when we meet again,” Imeta remarked.

Imeta competed for Kenya on the men’s 4x100-meter gold-medal winning team in Mauritius in 2022. He ran a time of 10.12 at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to advance from heat nine of the men’s 100-meter race. He did, however, suffer a significant setback when Kenya’s 4x100-metre relay team made a mistake and was unable to complete the finals race.

Kenya’s chances of earning a podium slot were entirely dashed by the shoddy baton handover between Imeta and Kiviasi.

Omanyala, who was about to dash electrically to the finish line, was left on the track watching helplessly after the howler that denied him another opportunity to shine.

The England team won the race in 38.35. Trinidad and Tobago came in second with a season-best time of 38.70 while Nigeria finished third in 38.81.

Eliud Kipchoge wins LG Sports Personality of the Month award

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge is the LG/ Sports Journalist Association of Kenya (SJAK) Sports Personality for the month of September.

Kipchoge won the recognition after his world record-breaking 2:01:09 run at the Berlin Marathon on September 25 this year where he lowered his record by 30 seconds to win a fourth title.

In an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Eldoret, Kipchoge said that he was glad to have been recognized for his exploits in Berlin.

Kipchoge was awarded an LG refrigerator which doubles up as a top mount freezer and water dispenser worth Sh150,000 and a personalized trophy.

He hailed SJAK and LG for constantly recognizing sportsmen and women for their exemplary performances.

“I’m excited today to be recognized by the journalists’ body and this is the second recognition after the breakfast meeting by Isuzu two weeks ago and I must admit that when you work hard, good things come your way.

I want to thank SJAK and LG for this award and this is a testament that we should always strive for more, there are no limits but rather everything is achieved through belief and determination. Breaking the world record in Berlin was very crucial for me as I wanted to inspire the human race,” said the Double Olympic marathon winner.

Kipchoge said that he is starting his season soon as he eyes a trio of wins at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“I have a plan to compete in the remaining major races before the 2024 Olympic Games where I’m eyeing to retain my title for the third time and I believe next season will be great,” he added.

William Kimore, the Content manager LG East Africa, said Kipchoge is a good inspiration to the young athletes who look up to him.

“We are proud to be associated Kipchoge one of the greatest marathoners who has demonstrated that hard work and persistence pays with his record-breaking heroics and we shall continue recognizing and awarding those who perform well in various sports,” said Kimore.

Kipchoge beat other nominees including track stars Beatrice Chebet (5000m) and Emmanuel Korir (800m), both of whom claimed Diamond League trophies in the 2022 season finale held in Zurich, Switzerland, and Hellen Obiri, who successfully defended her Great North Run title in the same month.

Others nominees included Malkia Strikers opposite attacker Sharon Chepchumba, who emerged top scorer for Kenya at the World Championships in the Netherlands, Karan Patel, who won the ARC Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally in Kigali, and former Hit Squad captain Nick Okoth, who bagged silver at the African Championships in Maputo, Mozambique.

He joins a growing list of sportsmen and women who have won the award this year including junior WRC3 contender McRae Kimathi (February), Japan’s Nagoya Marathon winner Ruth Chepng’etich (March), Boston Marathon men’s winner Evans Chebet (April), national women’s volleyball team star Sharon Chepchumba (May), WRC3 Safari Rally winner Maxine Wahome (June), Wimbledon Open Doubles Junior Champion Angela Okutoyi (July) and Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala (August).

Ferdinand Omanyala and Julius Yego lead protests over new World Athletics qualifying standards

The qualifying standards published on Friday by the World Athletics for the World Athletics Championships due for August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary next year, continue to illicit mixed reactions.

However, most athletes and coaches say it will be a tall order to achieve them.

World Athletics have shortened times for most track events as well as increased the distances in field events save for men's 400m and women's 800m where it has eased the the standards compared to the World Athletics Championships held last month in Oregon, United States. 

The men's qualifying time for Oregon was 44.90 seconds, but the time has been reviewed to 45.00 sec, while the women's time has been put at 1:59.80 from Oregon's 1:59.50.

The men and women's 20 kilometers race walk and marathon qualifying times have been reduced.

As was the case in 2019 and 2022, athletes will be able to qualify for the World Championships by achieving an entry standard or through their World rankings. 

The qualification period for the marathon and 35km race walk opened on December 1, 2021 and ends on May 30, 2023. 

For the 10,000m, 20km race walk and combined events, the window runs from January 31, 2022 until July 30, 2023. 

For all other disciplines, the qualification period is July 31, 2022 to July 30, 2023. 

Athletics Kenya head coach Julius Kirwa, Africa, Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala and Commonwealth Games javelin bronze medalist Julius Yego said that it will be a tall order to achieve some of the standards set.

"For instance, the 51.00sec set in women's 400m will be achieved by a handful of athletes. Africa will be most hit," said Kirwa, adding that women will be the most affected. 

Kirwa noted that only 34 women have achieved that time in 400m this year including one from Africa, Kenya's Mary Moraa, who posted 50.84 sec in June, which is outside the qualifying period. 

"I don't know the logic of the times and distances set but they will have to reconsider them," explained Kirwa pointing out that it's only Edward Zakayo who meets the 10,000m time of 27:10.00.

Kirwa said not even Daniel Simiu and Kibiwott Kandie who returned personal best times of 27:12.26 and 27:20.34 to settle for silver and bronze at the Commonwealth Games attained that time. 

"No athlete attained that time even at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon," said Kirwa. "It will simply discourage many athletes and that isn't growing the sport. It will continue to push many to road racing."

Omanyala said the bar is a bit too far for some athletes to meet.

"This year, we have only 25 going under 10 seconds and 11 are Americans. That means the rest of world has to put in the work," said Omanyala, who hopes to attain the set standards in the coming races.

"That means that Athletics Kenya has to put in more electronic races for our athletes to have a chance of qualifying," explained Omanyala. 

Yego noted that the move by World Athletics might have been informed by many athletes around the globe having  beaten that distance over the last few years in javelin.

"Most of them are coming outside Europe unlike before," said Yego, adding that it now calls for serious training program and many pre competitions.

"Africa will be the most disadvantaged because few athletes get the chance to compete in many events," explained Yego.

World Athletics has offered defending world champions wild card entry, as will the winners of the 2022 Diamond League, World Race Walking Tour and World Combined Events Tour.

The leading hammer performers on the Continental Tour will get wild cards but this is all subject to selection by the athlete's national federation. 

Area champions in selected disciplines and subject to certain conditions, top-five finishers at Platinum Label marathons during the qualification period and winners of Gold Label marathons held in 2023 shall also be considered as having achieved the entry standard. 

The number of athletes in some events has been adjusted, compared to 2022. Most noticeable is in the field events, where the number has been increased from 32 to 36. 

The mile – both in-stadium and road mile – will now be a qualifying event for the 1500m, while performances achieved on the road in the 5km and 10km will be eligible for qualification in the 5,000m and 10,000m, respectively.

In addition, the top eight athletes in the world cross country rankings not otherwise qualified through other pathways will be considered qualified for the 10,000m.

Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot digs deep to deliver Commonwealth steeplechase gold

Abraham Kibiwot was made to sweat before winning the 3,000m steeplechase gold at the ongoing Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium on Saturday.

Kibiwott had to weather strong challenge from India's Avinash Mukund Sable to win in eight minutes and 11.15 seconds.

Mukund claimed silver in a Personal Best time of 8:11.20 as 2021 World Under-20 3,000m steeplechase Amos Serem grabbed bronze in 8:16.83.

Defending champion Conseslus Kipruto finished sixth in 8:34.98.

It was the third victory for Kenya at the Games with Ferdinand Omanyala (100m) and Jackline Chepkoech (3,000m steeplechase) having won gold in their respective events.

It brought to 12 the number of medals for Kenya; three gold, three silver and six bronze.

It was the first time Kenya failed to sweep all the podium places since 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games.

"I am happy to finally win after I got silver in 2018. It feels good," said Kibiwott adding that Kenya could have lost the title to the Indian if he had failed to inject in the pace.

"I know Mukund well from the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. He has beaten me once at some Diamond League race," said Kibiwott explaining that he is now at peace after the Tokyo Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships disappointment. "I won't rest until we have the Olympic and World titles back in Kenya," explained Kibiwott.

"I thank God for bronze. It was a fast race but I am happy Kibiwott's tactics worked otherwise it could have been bad. We thank God this far we have reached," said Serem.

"My lower back problem recurred midway through the race hence I couldn't push any further. I had to slow down," said Kipruto. "It's not a good performance but I am glad I finished the race. There's nothing much you can do with an injury."

Thompson-Herah and Omanyala take 100 meter golds

Elaine Thompson-Herah, the only one of Jamaica's "Big Three" women to show up at the Commonwealth Games, was rewarded with the 100 meters gold medal on Wednesday, while Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala powered to the men's title.

Thompson-Herah, twice the 100/200m sprint champion at the Olympics, finished third in last month's World Championship 100 final behind Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She was originally only a reserve for the Commonwealths but when Fraser-Pryce opted out, she stepped in.

With Dina-Asher Smith, fourth in Eugene, also absent through injury, Thompson-Herah was the clear favorite for her first individual Commonwealth title.

She had looked a little tired in her semi-final but grabbed the early lead in the final and ran her usual smooth race to finish a comfortable winner in 10.95 seconds.

"Feeling good, I didn't have the best execution but nevertheless I had to dig for that one but I am still grateful to win my first Commonwealth Games," she said.

"I started in 2014 in the 4x100m. Then in 2018 in the 200m I came fourth and now I upgraded to a gold."

Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred was on her shoulder throughout for silver in 11.01 while England’s Daryll Neita recovered well from a terrible start to grab bronze in 11.07.

Omanyala, who set an African record of 9.77 seconds last year, served a 14 month doping ban four years ago. He failed to make the final at last month's World Championships after arriving in the United States hours before the heats due to visa problems.

Impressive in the semi-final he looked the favourite on Wednesday and duly controlled the final from gun to tape, flying out of the blocks and surging clear and looking more like a barrelling rugby prop than a sprinter to win in 10.02 seconds.

He is the second Kenyan to take the title after Seraphino Antao in 1962, when the event was still run over 100 yards.

South Africa's defending champion Akani Simbine took silver in 10.13 with Yupun Abeykoon from Sri Lanka getting the bronze in 10.14.

Omanyala, Imeta through to 100m semis at Commonwealth Games

Africa champion Ferdinand Omanyala clocked 10.07 seconds to win the fifth heat and sail through to the semi-finals of the men's 100m during the Commonwealth Games Athletics at the Alexander Stadium on Tuesday.

Omanyala edged out Eseme Emmanuel from Cameroon to second place in 10.08 with the latter also qualifying.

Omanyala declared that he is going for victory on Wednesday.

“My body feels fine hence I will be going for two sub 10 seconds and the title. The track is fine and fast, not the one that makes you lactic in the 100m,” said Omanyala.

“I am excited and looking forward to tomorrow to see what time I will clock.”

Omanyala, who received the wildest cheers when being introduced, hailed the fans and ambience at the arena.

“It is simply amazing and what any athlete would want to have. Such receptive fans make me run fast.”

On Simbine’s challenge, Omanyala said he won’t be focusing on individuals but delivering good results.

“I know Simbine is around but I am confident and healthy, focusing on nothing short of victory. Tell Kenyans I am winning gold tomorrow,” said Omanyala, who is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 9.85 sec.

Defending champion Akani Simbine from South Africa clocked 10.10 seconds to win the second heat before making his intentions obvious.

" I am here to defend my title. I know Omanyala has promised a good challenge if we reach the final but I am always ready for that. It's what will make this event a thriller for the spectators," said Simbine, who welcomed the good atmosphere at the stadium.

Favour Ashe won the opening heat in 10 12 sec as Ojie Edoburun from England claimed third heat in 10.27sec.

Kenya's other competitor in the event Samuel Imeta is also through to the semis after finishing second in heat nine after posting a personal best of 10.12 seconds.

Rohan Browning from England won in 10.10sec.

"Clocking a personal best feels great for me. My body responded well and I think I should perform well and reach the final. It's my hope," said Imeta.

Africa 100 meters champion Ferdinand Omanyala and women’s wheelchair basketballer Carolina Wanjira will be Kenya's flag-bearers as games start

Africa 100 meters champion Ferdinand Omanyala and women’s wheelchair basketball player Carolina Wanjira will be Kenya’s flag bearers during the opening ceremony of the 22nd Commonwealth Games on Thursday at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, England.

Kenya will be represented by 127 sportsmen and women at the Birmingham Games that will have a largest number of competitors, 5,054, drawn from 72 nations.

The competitors will fight for medals in 20 disciplines and eight para sports will feature, making it the biggest programme ever for Commonwealth Games.

Prince Charles will represent Queen Elizabeth II during the opening ceremony that will start at 10am Kenyan time.

The 3x3 basketball, cricket T20 and mixed synchronised diving are the sports that will feature for the first time at the Commonwealth Games that will see 280 different medal events.

Kenya has entered both the men and women’s teams in the 3x3 basketball.

Kenya’s best performance at the Games came during the 2010 Delhi, India and 2014 Glasgow, Scotland Games.

In Delhi, the country hauled 32 medals; 12 gold, 11 silver and nine bronze with all the medals coming from athletics except three; one gold in swimming and two bronze in boxing.

The golden moments came from legendary swimmer Jason Dunford, who claimed victory in the men's 50m butterfly.

The late Joshua Ndere Makonjio collected bronze in light heavyweight with Nicholas Okoth going for a similar medal in bantamweight.

Kenya hauled 25 medals; 10 gold, 10 silver and five bronze from Glasgow with all the medals coming from athletics except two bronze medals by Benson Gicharu (boxing) and Joyce Wambui Njuguna (weightlifting).

However, Kenya’s performance dipped at the previous 2018 Gold Coast Games, Australia where they collected 17 medals; four gold, seven silver and six bronze.

I will forget everything and focus on the finish line, says Ferdinand Omanyala after finally landing visa hiatus

African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala says the visa hiatus that has rocked his boat towards the World Athletics Championships in Oregon will not deter his determination and has vowed to give his best once he lands and sets his spikes on the starting blocks in Eugene.

Omanyala received his US visa late Thursday morning, slightly over 24 hours before the heats of the 100m gun off in Eugene. Athletics Kenya has managed to secure a 6pm flight for his departure from Nairobi, arriving in Oregon 4pm Friday, two hours and 40 minutes before race time.

“First of all it is a relief. It has been a tough last few days. The first target now is to get there on time, hoping there are no more issues along the way. I want to thank everyone who has worked hard to see this possible. At some point yes I thought it was never going to happen but I always felt that a breakthrough would come,” Omanyala told Capital Sport.

“I would like to thank the President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Government through the Ministry of Sports and CS Amina Mohamed and PS Joe Okudo for all the effort they put to ensure that I get both the US and UK visas despite everything that was going on,” Omanyala added.

He also says; “She (CS Amina) has been working from last night to have this done and I want to thank her so much. I also want to thank the US embassy for expediting. I am sure they did this out of a clean heart.”

He adds; “I hope to get there on time and once I step on the blocks, I will give everything to be on the finish line. Yes it has been tough but it has not deterred my focus. I will use this as a stepping stone to give me more strength for the race.”

The 26-year old has been booked a business class seat to ensure he gets as much comfort as he needs and gets to Eugene a bit better than if he had been on an economy seat.

Though he believes it is a tough call for him to be at the blocks fresh, he hopes for the best.

“It is a challenge of course, to ensure that I have shaken off the jet lag and all. But I thrive under pressure and I love challenges. I am sure I will get over this,” he added.

Omanyala is the third fastest man in the world this year, having clocked 9.85secs to win the Kip Keino Classic in May.

Visa issues cause headaches for hundreds of athletes and officials at track world championships

100-meter sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala is expected to land in Oregon about three hours before his first heat Friday

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala is one of the fastest men in the world at 100 meters, the rare African sprinter who could medal this weekend at the 2022 track and field world championships in Oregon.

But first, he has to make it there – and that's proven to be anything but simple.

Omanyala is one of the hundreds of international athletes and officials who have encountered visa issues ahead of the world championships at Hayward Field, leaving them frustrated, frazzled and, in many cases, racing just to make it to the start line.

The issues appear to stem from poor communication, applications being filed too late and general backlogs at U.S. embassies, where athletes must schedule an appointment and interview in order to obtain a temporary visa.

"This is ridiculous!" retired U.S. sprinting star Michael Johnson wrote on Twitter. "It’s been known US entry visa may be one of the most difficult and (World Athletics) and the organizing committee didn’t get ahead of this?"

World Athletics spokesperson Nicole Jeffery told USA TODAY Sports in an email that, as of Thursday, 374 visa cases involving athletes or officials had been flagged to a joint committee consisting of local organizers, World Athletics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who have worked to help speed up the process.

About 73% of the cases have been resolved, Jeffery added, leaving a little less than 100 still in various stages of the process.

"We continue to follow up with those outstanding visa issues," World Athletics said in a statement. "International travel in general has become more challenging due to the pandemic and we are extremely grateful for the help and experience of the USOPC in helping to resolve issues that have come up in Omanyala, who has recorded the third-fastest time in the 100 this year, is perhaps the most high-profile athlete who has been impacted. His manager, Marcél Viljoen, told USA TODAY Sports that the 26-year-old has been "frustrated and disappointed" while working to obtain his visa, which he finally did Thursday morning in Kenya.

Viljoen said Omayala is now scheduled to arrive in Eugene, Oregon about three hours before his first heat Friday.

"I want to thank everybody who has worked around the clock to ensure I get my visa," Omanyala told the BBC.

"There's nobody to blame here. It's the system, how it works. You cannot force anything."

Nearly a dozen athletes from South Africa have also encountered visa issues, according to South African media outlet Independent Online, as have athletes from India, Iran and Jamaica, among others.

"Missed out on representing Libya at Worlds because my Federation couldn’t get visas," sprinter Ahmed Amaar wrote on Twitter on Monday. "Representation matters and with no support from (World Athletics) there can be no development for smaller Nations."

Inocencio added that he was surprised to encounter logistical issues like this given the United States' size and reputation. He hopes it might serve as a learning moment before the nation hosts the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

In the meantime, athletes whose travel plans have been disrupted – but not completely derailed – by visa delays can only try to make the best of a stressful situation. 

"We (are) finally going, although some of us are going to arrive on the day we racing," South African sprinter Gift Leotlela wrote on Instagram. "We will fight and represent our country with Pride and honour."

All five reigning world champions named on Kenya's team for Oregon

All five of Kenya’s champions from Doha in 2019 will defend their titles at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 on 15-24 July.

Beatrice Chepkoech, Ruth Chepngetich, Timothy Cheruiyot, Conseslus Kipruto and Hellen Obiri have been named on the Kenyan team for the event at Hayward Field, where they will be joined by athletes including Olympic champions Peres Jepchirchir, Faith Kipyegon and Emmanuel Korir.

Obiri won her second consecutive world 5000m title in Doha and has been selected for that event as well as the 10,000m, joined by Margaret Chelimo in both.

Chepkoech and Kipruto defend their 3000m steeplechase titles, while Cheruiyot will look to return to the top in the 1500m after securing silver behind Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in Tokyo.

Chepngetich will be joined by Angela Tanui and Judith Jeptum in the women’s marathon, as well as Olympic champion Jepchirchir. After Tokyo, two-time world half marathon champion Jepchirchir went on to win the New York and Boston marathons and has been added to the team for Oregon.

Kenya finished second in the medal table behind USA in Doha three years ago with five gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

Kenyan team for Oregon

Women400m: Mary Moraa800m: Naomi Korir, Jarinter Mawia, Mary Moraa1500m: Winnie Chebet, Edinah Jebitok, Faith Kipyegon, Judy Kiyeng5000m: Beatrice Chebet, Margaret Chelimo, Gloria Kite, Hellen Obiri10,000m: Margaret Chelimo, Sheila Chepkurui, Hellen Obiri3000m steeplechase: Beatrice Chepkoech, Jackline Chepkoech, Celliphine Chespol, Purity Kirui20km race walk: Emily NgiiMarathon: Ruth Chepngetich, Peres Jepchirchir, Judith Jeptum, Angela Tanui

Men100m: Ferdinand Omanyala400m: Emmanuel Korir800m: Wycliffe Kinyamal, Emmanuel Korir, Cornelius Tuwei, Emmanuel Wanyonyi1500m: Timothy Cheruiyot, Abel Kipsang, Charles Simotwo, Kumari Taki5000m: Nicholas Kimeli, Jacob Krop, Daniel Simiu10,000m: Rodgers Kwemoi, Daniel Mateiko, Stanley Waithaka3000m steeplechase: Leonard Bett, Abraham Kibiwott, Benjamin Kigen, Conseslus Kipruto400m hurdles: Moitalel Mpoke20km race walk: Samuel GathimbaMarathon: Lawrence Cherono, Geoffrey Kamworor, Barnaba Kiptum

Team Kenya coach Janeth Jepkosgei hopeful of Kenya's chances in World Indoor event

Team Kenya coach Janeth Jepkosgei is confident that her young charges will win some medals for the country at the World Athletics Indoor Championships starting Friday at Štark Arena, Belgrade, Serbia.

The 38-year-old, who last competed for Kenya at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, said that though she can’t predict the type of the medal they will get, something nice will come from the Balkans.

Jepkosgei is in a team of 10 athletes and six officials that was to left at 11.55pm on Tuesday aboard an Emirates flight for the three-day championships.

“You can tell from their body language in training that they are hungry for results. They are simply happy free souls,” said Jepkosgei, the 2007 World 800m champion and 2008 Beijing Olympics 800m silver medallist.

Though a different experience virtually for all the members, this being an indoor championship event, Jepkosgei said that she has instilled the essence of being courageous and tough at that particular stage.

“They need not to be scared and should fight to the finishing tape,” said Jepkosgei, who described her team as Kenya’s future stars.

“I have told them that they have a long and bright future ahead, hence being in the team should motivate them. They deserve to represent Kenya, “explained Jepkosgei, who is indebted to Athletics Kenya for giving her a chance to handle the national team for the first time.

“This is another responsibility and stage in my athletics career after having hang up my spikes from competitive running back in 2015. I am happy but I am in the process of learning,” said Jepkosgei.

Kenya only won one medal- bronze by Bethwell Birgen in men’s 3,000m-from the last 2018 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The last time Kenya won gold in the men’s event was in 2014 in Sopot, Poland where Caleb Mwangangi reigned supreme in the 3,000m.

Hellen Obiri (3,000m) and Pamela Jelimo (800m) won last for the country in 2012 Istanbul, Turkey.

Team captain and Africa’s 100m record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala and his teammates have promised a good show with the sprinter targeting a sub 6.57 seconds in the men’s 60m.

The 2018 World Under-20 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet is eyeing a podium place in the women’s 3,000m alongside Collins Kipruto in the men’s 800m.

Kipruto will partner with World Under-20 800m bronze medallist Noah Kibet in the 800m event.

Chebet, 22, said she is eager to emulate Obiri on her maiden major tour as a senior in the women’s 3,000m where she will team up with prodigy Edinah Jebitok.

Jebitok, who competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, will also double up in the 1,500m.

World Relay 2x2x400m silver medalist Naomi Korir makes the women’s 800m team that also has Eglay Nalianya.

Abel Kipsang, who represented Kenya at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is a lone ranger in men’s 1,500m, while Jacob Kiprop and Daniel Simiu will battle in the men's 3,000m.

Africa’s 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala will lead Kenya's team of 10 athletes and six officials to the World Indoor Championships

Ferdinand Omanyala will lead Kenya's team of 10 athletes and six officials to the World Indoor Championships set for March 18-20 this year in Belgrade, Serbia.

The team, coached by 2017 World 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei, will leave the country on March 16.

Athletics Kenya Director for Youth and Development, Barnaba Korir disclosed that Omanyala will take the blocks in the 60m event, while 2018 World Under-20 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet will compete in the women’s 3,000m.

Chebet will team up with fast-rising Edinah Jebitok, who will also double up in the 1,500m.

World Relay 2x2x400m silver medalist Naomi Korir makes the women’s 800m team alongside Eglay Nalianya.

Abel Kipsang, who represented Kenya at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is the lone ranger in the men’s 1,500m, while Collins Kipruto, who has won several races at the World Indoor Tour, will fly the country’s flag in the men’s 800m, alongside World Under-20 800m bronze medallist Noah Kibet.

Jacob Kiprop and Daniel Simiu will battle it out in the men's 3,000m.

After a series of breathtaking performances at the World Indoor Tour where he broke the national record in 60m thrice, Omanyala will be hoping to reach the final.

Omanyala, who holds the Africa Record in 100m outdoor of 9.77sec, broke the national record in 60m indoor for the first time on February 4 this year when he won at Meeting Elite de Miramas in France.

He glided to 6.63 to shatter the previous National Record of 6.70 set by Paulvince Obuon in 2005.

Omanyala had won his semi-final heat in Lievin 6.63 before losing to Olympic 100m champion Jacobs Marcell from Italy, who won in 6.50.

He then bettered the National Record for the second time when winning in 6.60m at Meeting Metz Monselle Athlelor  in France on February 12, before lowering it further to 6.57 when he finished fourth at the Meeting Hauts-de- France Pas-de-Calais on February 17 in Lievin, France.

Kipruto competed in five races at the World Indoor Tour where he won two of them.

Kipruto’s best showing was when he won the men's 800m race at Müller Indoor Grand Prix in a personal best of 1:45.39 at Utilita Arena Birmingham on February 19.

Kipruto had held off 17-year-old Kibet and Morocco’s Mostafa Smaili to claim victory in the men's 800m at the Meeting de l’Eure in Val-de-Reuil in a meeting record time of 1:47.05 on February 14 in France.

Nalianya has three wins from her indoor outing in European, but her best show came from Meeting Hauts-de- France Pas-de-Calais on February 17 in Lievin, where she finished third in a personal best of 2:00.26.

Her compatriot Korir has taken part in five races this season and managed a second place in three, which includes a personal best of 2:00.66 from Míting Internacional de Catalunya in Spain on February 8.

Team

Men:

Ferdinand Omanyala (60m), Collins Kipruto (800m), Noah Kibet (800), Abel kIpsang (1,500m), Jacob Krop (3,000m), Daniel Simiu (3,000m).

Women

Naomi Korir (800), Egpay Naliaka (800), Edinah Jebitok (1,500m, 3,000m), Beatrice Chebet (3,000m).

Officials

Barnaba Kitilit (team leader), Hassan Ahmed( technical leader), Janeth Jepkosgei (team coach), Francis Philomena (Doctor), Lydia Muraya (official), Irene Wamui (official).

Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks indoor 1,500m world record

The Olympic 1,500m gold medalist, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, had a magical return to track on Thursday, setting an indoor 1,500m world record at Le Meeting d’Athlétisme Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in Liévin, France. Ingebrigtsen broke Samuel Tefera’s 1,500m record by half a second to win the men’s 1,500m in 3:30.60. 

The pacers took Ingebrigtsen out through 1,100m at world record pace, and he closed the final 200m lap in 27 seconds to come away with the record, beating Tefera by three seconds. This is the 21-year-old’s first senior world record.  

Last month, it was made public that Ingebrigtsen was no longer going to be coached by his father, Gjert Ingebrigtsen. Since then, Jakob’s training has been overseen by his older brother Henrik, 30, who was the European 1,500m champion in 2012. 

Jakob has his eyes on the World Championship double in 2022, which would mean taking home gold in the 1,500m at next month’s World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and then 1,500m gold later this summer at the World (outdoor) Championships in Eugene, Ore. 

The world’s fastest man, Italy’s Marcell Lamont Jacobs, continued his winning ways in the 60m in Liévin (6.50).

Jacobs beat a loaded field that featured U.S. sprinter Ronnie Baker, African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala and France’s Jimmy Vicaut. This race was Jacobs’ second straight win to start the season, although he finished 0.01 seconds off his season’s best 6.49.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and six other Kenyan athletes left the country Wednesday night for the 2021 Dubai Run

The run, dubbed "Run with the Champions", will see participants among them the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, take part in 5km and 10km races along the iconic Sheikh Zayed superhighway on November 26.

The 2021 Dubai Run is among several activities lined-up for the seven athletes who will represent Kenya at the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (Keproba), who will manage Kenya's pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, aim to use to showcase Kenya as a destination for investment, sports, and tourism.

Apart from Omanyala the other Kenyan athletes include double 3,000m steeplechase Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi, former 800m world champion Janeth Jepkosgei, 2013 London Marathon winner Priscah Jeptoo, 2021 Berlin Marathon first runner-up Bethwel Yegon, Jonathan Kiplimo Maiyo, who set a personal best time of 2:04:56 at the 2012 Dubai Marathon, and 2010 Nagpur half-marathon winner Hellen Nzembi.

Omanyala will be the leader of the athletes’ delegation. Omanyala, who will do the 3km at the Expo run, shared his excitement at representing Kenya at the Expo.

"I am privileged to be among great athletes like Ezekiel Kemboi and Janeth Jepkosgei to promote our country through a fun and engaging initiative as this one," Omanyala told Nation Sport.

"Other than showcasing the best of my country, I also hope to learn from other countries," he added.

Omanyala is currently on a break before starting his busy 2022 season in February that will see him compete in the World Indoor Championships, Kipkeino Classic, Diamond League, Continental Tours, African Championships, World Championships, and the Commonwealth Games in six months.

The run will start at the Kenyan pavilion and, it will have three courses - 3km, 5km, and 10km routes.

Jepkosgei said she cannot wait to showcase the best of Kenyan agriculture and tourism.

"I am excited by my role at Expo. I look forward to telling the world about our peaceful and hospitable country, the good quality of our agricultural products and, our enchanting tourist attraction sites," the 37-year old, who has taken up coaching athletes, said

The Expo 2020 Dubai was initially scheduled to take place from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021, but it was cancelled due to Covid-19.

"Our athletes are our greatest ambassadors. Their presence at the Kenya Pavilion will boost our effort to market Kenya as a destination for investment, sports, and tourism," Keproba CEO Dr. Wilfred Marube said at the flag-off ceremony for the Kenyan athletes held at a Nairobi hotel on Wednesday.

Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon says she is motivated to break more records next season

Double Olympic1500m women's champion Faith Kipyegon hungry for more success.

Speaking on Tuesday after she was voted LG Sports Personality for the month of August, the mother of one stated that the timely award will motivate her going forward.

Faith defended her 1500m gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games in Japan in a new Olympic record of 3:53.11, beating Great Britain's Laura Muir and Dutch star Sifan Hassan.

"I am surprised about this award. It has never happened before. Being the off season, coach Patrick Sang called me and said that there is an urgent meeting. Little did I know I was to receive this award. It is an inspiration for me and my teammates at the camp,” said Kipyegon Tuesday during the award ceremony at the Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

To win the monthly award, Kipyegon went home with a state-of-the-art LG washing machine worth Sh92,000 and a glittering trophy engraved with her name.

Kipyegon was voted the best ahead of the men’s marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, Peres Jepchirchir who both won gold in Tokyo Olympics in marathon, as well as 800m gold medalist Emmanuel Korir.

Also in the nominees were World Under-20 Walk champion Heristone Wanyonyi, 100m sensational Ferdinand Omanyala and World Under-20 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

LG Electronics Managing Director, Sa Nyoung Kim appreciated the partnership, saying that the electronic firm is committed to developing sports in the country.

“I am humbled to be at such a humble camp which has so many championships. LG and SJAK will continue working together to support and motivate sports personalities achieve their dreams,” LG boss said.

On his part, Valentijn Trouw, a senior manager in the Global Sports Communication Camp said, “We are pleased as a team to have a fifth athlete awarded. As Global Sports Communication we work as a team to ensure that we not only develop good athletes but a well-rounded person.”

Kipyegon becomes the fourth female athlete in 2021 to lay hands on the coveted award, previously won by the likes of Kipchoge, Geoffrey Kamworor, Kenya sevens star Jacob Ojee and 800m Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal among others. 

She also joins the growing list of 2021 winners that includes tennis superstar Angela Okutoyi (January), Tylor Okari Ongwae of Kenya Moran’s (February), Hit Squad boxer Elly Ajowi (March), world marathon champion Ruth Chepng'etich (April), Milan marathon winner Titus Ekiru (May), Safari Rally WRC3 winner Onkar Rai (June) and US based Lioness basketball star Victoria. Reynolds (July).

A number of Tokyo Olympic medalists, including champions Faith Kipyegon and Peruth Chemutai, will be among the athletes in action at the Kip Keino Classic

Athletes from at least 28 countries are expected to compete when the final meeting of this year’s Continental Tour Gold series is held at the Kasarani Stadium, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 18, which recently hosted the World Athletics U20 Championships.

After winning her second Olympic 1500m title and then claiming the series crown at the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich, Kenya’s Kipyegon will make her Kip Keino Classic debut. Uganda’s Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Chemutai, meanwhile, returns to the event after her sixth-place finish in the inaugural edition of the meeting last year.

Both Olympic steeplechase champions will be competing, with Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco having already been announced for the men’s race. He is set to be joined on the start line by Kenya's world U20 champion Amos Serem.

Like Kipyegon, USA’s Fred Kerley claimed a Diamond Trophy in Zurich, becoming the first athlete to ever win top series honours in both the 100m and 400m. Three years after his 400m success, Kerley won the 100m in 9.87 in Zurich and the Olympic 100m silver medallist is now set to race in Nairobi.

In men's 100m action will be the USA’s world leader Trayvon Bromell, Kenyan record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala and the USA’s Justin Gatlin, while Botswana’s Isaac Makwala has been announced for the 400m.

Namibia's Christine Mboma improved her world U20 record and African record to 21.78 to win the 200m Diamond Trophy in Zurich and the Olympic silver medallist returns to Nairobi, where the 18-year-old won the world U20 title last month.

The men’s hammer competition will also feature an Olympic champion, with Poland's Wojciech Nowicki among those who will be seeking more success when they compete in Kenya.

Ukraine’s world finalist Iryna Klymets will compete in the women’s event.

Rengeruk and Obiri claim Tokyo 5000m places at Kenyan Championships

Lilian Kasait Rengeruk and Hellen Obiri secured their Tokyo Olympic Games places by finishing in the top two of a women's 5000m final which saw four women dip under 15 minutes at the Kenyan Championships in Nairobi on Thursday (17).

On the first day of action at the Kasarani Stadium, the session got under way with Rengeruk running 14:52.18 for victory as a total of seven athletes finished under the Olympic qualifying standard of 15:10.00.

A group of eight had remained together until the pack approached the final lap, when five athletes – led by Rengeruk and Obiri – started to move away. Rengeruk picked up the pace with Obiri in pursuit, but the 2017 world cross country bronze medallist managed to hold off two-time world 5000m champion Obiri down the home straight. Obiri finished second in 14:52.51.

Two-time world 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop was just behind them, clocking 14:53.91, and world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi also went sub-15:00 with 14:58.61 to finish fourth. World U20 champion Beatrice Chebet was fifth in 15:01.86.

“I didn’t expect to win. I thank God for victory and good health,” Rengeruk told Athletics Kenya. “The race was tactical. I didn’t have many races (in the lead-up) but my preparation was uninterrupted. My wish is to work as a team in Tokyo to ensure we deliver podium finishes.”

Joining her in Japan will be Obiri, who made her half marathon debut with a 1:04:51 performance in Istanbul in April and in Nairobi explained how she may switch her focus to road races after this year.

“I’m satisfied with my second place finish, what matters most was to finish in the top two,” she said. “I will go back and work hard in training to ensure I do well in Tokyo.”

Kipyegon wins 1500m

Faith Kipyegon remains on track for an Olympic title defence as she comfortably won the 1500m trials race in 4:02.10, with African champion Winny Chebet also claiming a team place thanks to her runner-up finish and Edinah Jebitok placing third.

Faith Kipyegon on her way to 1500m victory at the Kenyan Championships (© AFP / Getty Images)

“My focus is to defend my Olympic title in Tokyo,” said Kipyegon, also the 2017 world gold medallist. “It was a really good race here, which I really wanted to win. I know I will meet many good athletes in Tokyo but I have prepared really well.”

The men’s 100m saw Ferdinand Omanyala improve on the Kenyan record with a time of 10.02 (1.5m/s), with Mark Otieno second in 10.05 to also achieve the Olympic qualifying time.