Ferdinand Omanyala has a chance to bounce back from his rough 2024 season at the 2025 World Championships but he faces a delicate balancing act as it could be a make-or-break year.
Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala faces a defining season as he gears up for the 2025 campaign.
Omanyala did not enjoy the best of seasons in 2024 when he failed to make it to the final of the Olympics and also missed out on the Diamond League final.
While Omanyala may have earned more in 2024, thanks to a number of endorsement deals, prize money and appearance fees, when it came to track performances, his 2023 season was better.
Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is already preparing for life after athletics and has spoken about the multi-million seven-bedroom home he is constructing for his family.
In 2023, the 29-year-old made it to both the Diamond League final as well as the World Championships final and 2024 was supposed to be the year to take it to the next level.
He switched coaches, linking up with Geoffrey Kimani, in a bid for a fresh start, and the strategy was to feature in a few races with the aim of peaking just before the Olympics.
Indeed, it seemed to be paying off when Omanyala recorded the world’s fastest time, clocking 9.79 at the Kenyan Olympics trials in Nairobi in June, and even though Jamaican Kishane Thomspon lowered it to 9.77 a few days later, his mark was still better than that managed by world champion Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley or Letsile Tebogo, some of his fiercest rivals.
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Ferdinand Omanyala epitomizes speed and power given his burly frame plus quick feet and when it comes to cars, he has stayed true to this with luxury automobiles valued at Ksh43 million.
That gave Omanyala and Kenyans hope of a better outing at the Olympics but the African record holder could not get past the semi-final, having recorded an identical 10.08 in both the first round and semis.
That saw critics get on his case again and just like in 2023, as some began to doubt whether he can do it on the big stage.
Luckily for Omanyala, he will not have to wait for long to answer his doubters as there is another championship this year.
The 2025 World Championships will take place in Tokyo, Japan in September and for Omanyala, this is the time to finally end that talk of freezing when it matters most.
Omanyala has proven over time that he can beat his main rivals but it would not look good on him if he fails to sparkle on a grand stage for a third year running as that would erode fans’ confidence in him while also giving him doubts over his ability yet he is hugely talented.
The 2025 season will therefore be a defining moment for the sprinter since if he fails to do it, he might have it rough in 2027 when he will be 31, while the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will take place when he will be 32.
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Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is hoping to add a major world title to his growing list of accolades.
