Omanyala suffers first 100m loss of the season after third place finish in Rabat

Ferdinand Omanyala

ATHLETICS Omanyala suffers first 100m loss of the season after third place finish in Rabat

Joel Omotto 21:50 - 28.05.2023

Africa's fastest man had to settle for third place in what was a slow race in Morocco.

Ferdinand Omanyala suffered his first loss of the season in the 100m when he finished third at the Rabat Diamond League on Sunday.

In a star-studded race, Omanyala had to settle for third place behind American Fred Kerley who won the race and South African Akani Simbine who was second.

Omanyala recorded a slow time of 10.05 with Kerley winning in 9.94 while Simbine had 9.99. Africa’s fastest man was slow off the blocks with his poor start contributing to the third-place finish.

The 26-year-old can draw solace from the fact that he has a better season’s best of 9.84 comapred to Kerley’s 9.88.

Omanyala has had a good start to the season, winning the Kip Keino Classic in a world lead 9.84 ahead of Americans Kenneth Bednarek (9.98) and Marvin Bracy-Williams (10.03) this month, the win coming after the 26-year-old, wo holds the Africa 100m record of 9.77, had clocked a wind-assisted 9.87 at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in April.

He clocked 10.05 in Germiston on April 19, seven seconds faster than his 10.12 in Pretoria a week earlier, during the season-opening ASA Athletics Grand Prix II in South Africa.