by Larry Eder
Welcome to the World Champs 2023 Preview, Day 17.
For the next 28 days, RunBlogRun will be posting a story a day on the buildup to the World Athletics Outdoor Championships, to be held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19-August 27, 2023.
Today we are going to speak about the fastest Kenyan ever.
No, not over 800 meters, 1,500 meters, on up, but over 100 meters!
Ferdinand Omanyala shows young boys and girls in Kenya that Kenyans can sprint with the best in the world!
His style, his power, and his celebrations post-race have all captured the media’s attention and fans go crazy for Ferdinand.
How will he fare this summer in Budapest, Hungary?
Please read on to find out, curious readers!
Ferdinand Omanyala is the name of this record breaker, and he will be the focus of media on the African and European continents this summer.
Last summer, Ferdinand won the African Athletics Championships at 100m, anchored the 4x100m, and then came back and won the Commonwealth Games.
He had a terrible experience in Eugene, Oregon, where his US visa was delayed so that, and I am not making this up; Ferdinand got to Eugene three hours before his first round, which he made it through. He then slept and tried to move from the semi-finals to the final, which he should have made.
To say that he was hurt was an understatement. But Ferdinand, a man of strong faith, used that challenge to add the Commonwealth Games to his medal collection.
Ferdinand has done well in 2023 so far.
He set two NRs at the 60-meter indoor distance and in one of the races, defeated Marcell Jacobs, the 2021 Olympic champion at 100 meters. Outdoors, Ferdinand has been in crazy good shape.
He just has had some bad luck.
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Ferdinand should have had the World leader and a Kenyan NR in two domestic meets, but wind readings were not legal.
In the recent Botswana GP, Ferdinand won once again and ran a sizzling 9.76, but the wind reading was not legal.
Here’s what I think: Ferdinand Omanyala will be the first Kenyan to climb atop the medal podium in a WC and Olympics at 100 meters. He is just that good. His speed and his technique (is coming along), but his most impressive talent is his high level of fitness and his faith. Ferdinand surrounds himself with a strong family and support team.
I will tell you here, watch this fast Kenyan sprinter as he excites a whole continent about sprinting. Ferdinand Omanyala will be shaking it up all summer as we build to Budapest 2023.
(Watch him race on May 13 at the Kip Keino Classic!)
Justin Lagat, our senior writer in Kenya, just did a wonderful interview with Ferdinand; please listen to it: https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/ferdinand-omanyala-2022-commonwealth-games-champion-2022-african-athletics-championed-audio-interview-by-justin-lagat.html
To read all of our earlier stories in Witness the Wonder, numbers 1-16:
1. Witness the Wonder, World Outdoor Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 1; Welcome to the World Champs! https://runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-outdoor-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-1-welcome-to-the-world-champs.html
2. Witness the Wonder, World Outdoor Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 2, Meeting the Stars of Hungarian Athletics! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-outdoor-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-2-meeting-the-stars-of-hungarian-athletics.html
3. Witness the Wonder, World Outdoor Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 3, Why you should go to Budapest! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-outdoor-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-3.html
4. Witness the Wonder, World Outdoor Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 4, Mondo Duplantis & Nafi Thiam are Europe’s finest; how will they do in Budapest? https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-outdoor-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-3-mondo-duplantis-nafi-thiam-are-europes-finest-how-will-they-do-in-budapest.html
5. Witness the Wonder, World Championships Budapest 2023, Day 5, Just What Will Faith Kipyegon Do in Budapest? https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-championships-budapest-2023-day-5-just-what-will-faith-kipyegon-do-in-budapest.html
6. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 6, Mutaz Essa Barshim. Will he take a 4th straight title in Budapest? https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-mutaz-essa-barshim-will-he-take-a-4th-straight-title-in-budapest.html
7. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Outdoor Champs Budapest 2023, Day 7, Noah Lyles wants to burn up the track in Budapest in August! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-outdoor-champs-budapest-2023-noah-lyles-wants-to-burn-up-the-track-in-budapest-in-august.html
8. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 8, all About the National Athletics Center https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-8-all-about-the-national-athletics-center.html
9. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 9: Meet Anita Marton, Hungarian star shot putter with deadly last-round throws! What will she do in Budapest? https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-9-meet-anita-marton-hungarian-star-shot-putter-who-has-deadly-last-round-throws-what-will-she-do-in-budapest.html
10. Witness the Wonder, 2023 World Athletics Outdoor Championships, Day 10: Karsten Warhold is back, what will he do in Budapest over the 400-meter hurdles? https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-2023-world-athletics-outdoor-championships-day-10-karsten-warhold-is-back-what-will-he-do-in-budapest-over-the-400-meter-hurdles.html
11. Witness the Wonder World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 11; Wayde Van Niekerk is coming to Budapest! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-11-wayde-van-niekerk-wr-holder-olympic-champions-two-time-world-champion-at-400-meters-has-returned-and-he-wants-to-run-a-sizz.html
12. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 12, Neeraj Chopra, India’s Javelin star, will he move up to gold in Budapest? https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-neeraj-chopra-indias-javelin-star-will-he-move-up-to-gold-in-budapest.html,
13. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 13: Ryan Crouser overcomes a rainy day at the Drake Relays! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/04/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-13-ryan-crouser-overcomes-a-rainy-day-at-the-drake-relays.html
14. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Outdoor Championships, Budapest, Day 14: Five Reasons to go to the World Championships in Budapest! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/05/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-outdoor-championships-budapest-day-14-five-reasons-to-go-to-the-world-championships-in-budapest.html
15. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 15, Old and New Stars in Hammer could shine the first weekend of World Champs for Hungary! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/05/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-old-and-new-stars-in-hammer-could-shine-first-weekend-of-world-champs-for-hungary.html
16. Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023, Day 16: Five Ways to Better Enjoy the Budapest World Champs! https://www.runblogrun.com/2023/05/witness-the-wonder-world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-day-15-five-ways-to-better-enjoy-the-budapest-world-champs.html
The World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, will be held August 19-27, 2023, and tickets are available now! Click here to learn more about ticket sales: https://tickets.wabudapest23.com/
RunBlogRun suggests a wonderful book on Hungary, The Hungarians, A Thousand Years of Victory in Defeat, by Paul Lendvai, Translated by Ann Major, Princeton University Press, www.pupress.princeton.edu.
Need tips for Visiting Budapest and the rest of Hungary? Please go here! Visit Hungary-Wellspring of Wonders! https://visithungary.com/
