What you need to know:
Omanyala equaled his National Records time of 10.01 finishing third behind Canadian Andre De Grasse (9.91) and Kerley (9.97) in the first round as both qualified for the semis.
In the semis, Kerley won in 9.96, beating De Grasse (9.98) and Omanyala, who improved his National record by 0.01 with a time of 10.00.
National 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala cannot wait to make his debut at the Diamond League in Brussels on Friday.
Also set for her first appearance at the Diamond League in the Allianz Memorial Van Damme meeting is Mary Moraa, who will field in the women's 800m race.
Fresh from joining the sub 10 seconds club, Omanyala is in the provisional entry list of eight athletes, who are due to battle in the men's 100m.
Ideally, it’s the same field that Omanyala faced on his debut at the Tokyo Olympics Games, among them American Fred Kerley, who won silver in men’s 100m and fourth-place finisher, Akan Simbine from South Africa.
Americans Trayvon Bromell and Michael Norman will also line up in the race. Omanyala faced Kerley twice in Tokyo in the first round and the semi-finals.
Omanyala equaled his National Records time of 10.01 finishing third behind Canadian Andre De Grasse (9.91) and Kerley (9.97) in the first round as both qualified for the semis.
In the semis, Kerley won in 9.96, beating De Grasse (9.98) and Omanyala, who improved his National record by 0.01 with a time of 10.00.
Omanyala failed to advance to the final, but he had made history as the first Kenyan to reach the semis at the Olympics in the event.
Omanyala heads into Brussels oozing confidence following a series of inspiring wins in Australia and Finland.
Omanyala broke his own National Record twice, running 9.96 in the first round followed by 9.86 in the final at the International Josko Lauf Meeting at Pramtal Stadium, Andorra, Austria on August 14.
It was the first time a Kenyan ran sub 10 seconds.
Then Omanyala moved to the Motonet Grand Prix at Lahti Stadium in Finland on August 19 and set a Stadium record time of 10.09 seconds in the final, having run the same time in the first heat.
It was the first time the Stadium record was being broken in 27 years.
He then clocked 10.16 and 10.06 to win the first round and final
respectively at Valkean Kaupungin Kisat meeting on August 22 at Raatin Stadium, Finland.
“It’s the best thing. I have always wanted to line up in the Diamond League series and compete,” said Omanyala, adding that it’s great to lift the hopes of sprints in Kenya.
“Being the first Kenyan ever to run in the 100m at the Diamond League is the biggest joy this season,” said Omanyala, declaring that the journey to greatness has started in earnest.
“I am going to Brussels to enjoy every bit of it and to show the world that Kenya can sprint. What I have learnt is that nothing is impossible in this world,” explained Omanyala.
On the other hand, Kerley got a boost of confidence in Paris last Saturday, where he ran a Personal Best in the 200m.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in my current form and want to show what I’ve got in the upcoming weeks. My goal is very clear: I want to be the fastest man in the 100m, 200m and the 400m," said Kerley.
Moraa, who reached the semis in women’s 800m in Tokyo, faces Tokyo Olympics 800m silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson from Britain among others.
Olympic 5,000m silver medallist, Hellen Obiri, who is also the reigning World 5,000m champion, Margaret Chelimo, Lilian Kasait, Beatrice Chebet, Eva Cherono and Daisy Cherotich are the Kenyans who will compete in women’s 5,000m.
They will be up against Tokyo Olympic 10,000m silver medallist, Ethiopia's Gidey Letensebet and fast-rising Francine Nyonsaba from Burundi.
