Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya has won the gold medal in the men’s 100metre final at the Commonwealth Games.
The eighth-fastest man of all time over the distance clocked 10.02 to win relatively comfortably ahead of continental rival and defending champion Akani Simbine of South Africa.
Sri Lankan sprinter Yupun Abeykoon finished a hundredth of a second behind Simbine to take bronze in a hotly contested finish, with Jeremiah Azu of Wales in fifth with 10.19.
Omanyala becomes the first Kenyan to win the Commonwealth crown, adding to the continental triumph he recorded in Mauritius in June when he saw off South Africa’s Simbine in a photo-finish.
“This was the goal we had since the start of the year – to win the African Championships and the Commonwealth Games,” Omanyala told BBC Sport.
“We have achieved what we said, so we thank God for this. I am sure it will have a lot of impact, because I’ll be training knowing that I’m Commonwealth and African champion.
“This is a big motivation. We are adding more accolades to my success.”
Omanyala’s success come after disappointment at the World Championships in Eugene, where he failed to make the final after arriving late in the United States because of visa delays.
However, he says he forgot about that experience “after days”.
“It is all about just moving forwards and using setbacks as stepping stones,” he added. “You have to pick up yourself. Everything happens for a reason.”
In June, Omanyala became just the second Kenyan to be crowned African champion over 100m, emulating 1990 winner Joseph Gikonyo, and expects more sprinters to emerge from the east African country on the back of his triumphs.
“There is so much talent in Kenya, it’s just that they never saw anybody ahead of them that has been sprinting.
