Omanyala kicks off new season with world record

Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala kicked off the new season with a new national record in France during the just concluded World Athletics Indoor meeting held in Miramas.



Omanyala clocked 6.60 seconds to set the new national record in 60 m in a race won by Ivory Coast’s Arthur Cisse who crossed the finish line in 6.57s in the 60 m sprint race.



Turkey’s Ertan Ozkan came in third after clocking 6.68 seconds. 



The Miramas meeting is not new to Omanyala with the African and national 100 m record holder previously breaking the 60 m national record in Lievin, France back in 2022.



Omanyala took to the track for his first-ever indoor championships this season at the Meeting Elite de Mirama – a World Athletics Indoor bronze meeting where he clocked an impressive 6.63 seconds over the 60 m race.



The mark was not only a new national record but also a new meeting record that had been standing for the past 17 years.



Soon after his heroics Omanyala will now shift focus to the Meeting Mondeville which comes up in four days.



The African champion will then travel back to France for the Paris Indoor Meeting on February 11 before concluding his French tour on February 15 in Lievin where he broke his own national record.



Having come out from a successful 2022 season that saw him snatch both the African 100 m crown and the Commonwealth Gold from legendary South Africa’s Akani Simbine before going on to win the 2022 Kip Keino Classic in 9.85 seconds, stunning American Fred Kerley to second place in 9.92 sec, Omanyala is hopeful the 2023 season will see him reach greater heights.



Omanyala is also optimistic about making his Diamond League debut this season later in May.