Ferdinand Omanyala of Team Kenya competes in the Men’s 100 metres heats on day one of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 15, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon./Carmen Mandato | AFP
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Omanyala through to 100m semis as Kerley lights up heats

July 16, 2022
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Ferdinand Omanyala overcame adversity to qualify for the semifinals of the World Championships 100 metres at the Hayward Field in Oregon on Saturday.

The African champion ensured safe passage to the semi-finals with a third place finish in the last heat of the 100m won by Japan’s Sani Brown in 9.98 sec.

From left: South Africa’s Clarence Munyai, Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, Brazil’s Felipe Bardi, Lebanon’s Noureddine Hadid, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lionel Tshimanga Muteba, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, New Zealand’s Edward Osei-Nketia cross the finish line in the men’s 100m heats during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 15, 2022./Jewel Samad | AFP

Omanyala clocked a modest 10.10 seconds behind New Zealand’s Edward Osei-Nketia (10.08, NR) while Brown won the heat in 9.98 to make the semis set for Sunday morning at 4am followed by the final at 5.50am Kenyan time.

Omanyala had arrived in Oregon less than three hours to his race after a delayed Visa forced him to leave the country Thursday night for the championships.

Omanyala left the country on Thursday at 6pm for a five-hour flight to Doha before embarking on his longest ever journey of 17 hours to Seattle, United States.

The Africa 100m record holder would then board another one-and-half hours flight to Eugene where he arrived at 2.30am ready for the heats that got underway at 4.50am.

Ferdinand Omanyala of Team Kenya (centre) competes in the Men’s 100 metres heats on day one of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 15, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon./Andy Lyons | AFP

Defending champion Christian Coleman (10.08) announced his presence with a controlled in Heat 6, with Olympic 200m champion Andre de Grasse of Canada (10.12) coming second. Brazil’s Eric Cardoso (10.18) was third to ensure he makes the semis.

America’s world leader Fred Kerley brought the roof down at the Hayward Field in Heat 2, after producing a monster 9.79sec, Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes was second in 9.97.

Fred Kerley of Team United States competes in the Men’s 100 metres heats on day one of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 15, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon./Carmen Mandato | AFP

America’s Marvin Bracy won Heat 1 in 10.05, Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake was second in 10.15 while Nigeria’s Raymond Okevwo was third in 10.17.

Trayvon Bromell, the second fasted man in the world this year, also secure safe passage to the semis in front of his home fans with a 9.89sec performance in Heat 3. Cote d’Ivoire’s Arthur Cisse (10.5) and Brazil’s Rodrigo do Nascimento (10.11) took the other two automatic places to the semis.

Olympic champion Lament Marcell Jacobs also made it to the semis with a second place finish behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville.

Veteran Jamaican Yaohan Blake, who is Omanyala’s role model, was second in Heat 5 in 10.04 behind Botswana’s youngster Letsile Tebogo who set a new world junior record of 9.94sec.

Canada’s Aaron Brown was third in 10.06, leaving former African champion Akani Simbine to face the anxious wait to know if he will be one of the non-automatic qualifiers.

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