In Summary
- Botswana’s Tebogo Letsile clocked a national record time of 9.88 seconds.
- British sprinter Zharnel Hughes secured the bronze medal
Kenyan Sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala faced disappointment as he finished in the 7th position during the highly anticipated men’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
The Gold medal was clinched by USA’s Noah Lyles, who displayed exceptional prowess by clocking an impressive 9.83 seconds.
Omanyala, who had shown promise throughout the competition, crossed the finish line with a time of 10.07 seconds, leaving him visibly disheartened by his performance that he cried.
READ ALSO: Ferdinand Omanyala Makes History at the Diamond League
The Kenyan sprinter had managed to secure a spot in the finals after recording a time of 9.97 seconds during the semifinals, where he had come in second behind American sprinter Noah Lyles with a time of 9.95 seconds.
With the disappointment of the 2023 Athletics Championships still fresh, Omanyala took to twitter to express his determination to persevere and improve.
“Live to fight another day!”
he tweeted.
Wife’s Love
Despite his disappointment, Omanyala found solace in the supportive words of his wife, Laventa Amutavi.
In an emotionally touching Instagram post, she reminded him that champions are not born, but rather built through determination and perseverance.
READ ALSO: Omanyala Tastes 1st defeat of the Season
“You made history. It’s not the results we wanted, but God came through. We saw a miracle and more to come. Super humbled and proud of you. Champions aren’t born. They are built,”
She posted.
Omanyala, despite his tears and sense of defeat, was inspired to keep pushing forward.
Kenyan’s Support
Kenyan citizens rallied behind Omanyala on various social media platforms, flooding his accounts with messages of encouragement.
“Congratulations are still in order; you keep flying our Kenyan flag higher every time you appear on that track. Keep going,”
@kelvinfut
“We are still proud of you Champion! The Kenyan rocket,”
@farhiyaabass
“Remember, it’s not over until it’s over. Tomorrow brings new chances. We believe in you, Fred Omanyala. Keep going,”
@MjengoKE said.
Earlier in May, he had set a world-leading time of 9.84 seconds in the 100m race during the Kip Keino Classics held in Nairobi, earning him praise and admiration from his fellow citizens.
