Kenya’s sprint king Ferdinand Omanyala stormed to victory in the men’s 150m race at the Adidas Atlanta City Games on Saturday, smashing his own African record.
Omanyala, the overwhelming favourite following the withdrawal of American star Noah Lyles due to injury and the disqualification of Alexander Ogando for a false start, delivered a masterclass of sprinting power and experience.
The Commonwealth champion clocked an impressive 14.70 seconds, eclipsing his previous African record of 14.89 set at the same meet in 2023.
It wasn’t a flawless run from the Kenyan at the start, as Terrence Jones briefly reeled him in within the opening 50 metres. But Omanyala quickly shifted gears, pulling away to claim a comfortable win. Jones crossed the line in 14.93 seconds, while American Matthew Boling settled for third in 15.15 seconds.
Though the 150m is an unconventional event on the athletics calendar, the performance was a timely statement from Omanyala, who has experienced an up-and-down 2025 season so far. The world record for the distance remains 14.35 seconds, set by sprint icon Usain Bolt in Manchester in 2009.
Bouncing Back After a Rocky Start to 2025
The Atlanta triumph marks a significant rebound for Omanyala, who headed to the U.S. after a tough outing at the Shanghai Diamond League on May 3, where he finished last in the 100m in 10.25 seconds.
Since launching his 2025 campaign on March 12 at the ASA Grand Prix in South Africa, Omanyala has registered mixed results. He finished third in the opening leg with 10.22 seconds, before recovering to win the second leg in 10.08. Victories at the Uganda National Trials and a runner-up spot behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine at the Botswana Grand Prix followed, where he clocked 10.09 and 10.00 seconds respectively.
At the start of his Diamond League season in Xiamen, Omanyala managed a second-place finish in 10.13 seconds, again behind Simbine, who crossed in 9.99.
Relay History in Guangzhou
Omanyala’s confidence had been buoyed just a week earlier by a historic outing at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, where he helped power Kenya’s 4x100m men’s team to a landmark World Championships qualification, the first in the country’s history.
Teaming up with Boniface Mweresa, national champion Meshack Babu, and Steve Odhiambo, the quartet clocked 38.35 seconds in the first round of qualifiers, setting a new national record. They then secured a place in the global showpiece by finishing second in Round Two with 38.51 seconds.
Eyes on Bigger Prizes
The Atlanta City Games victory is a welcome boost for Omanyala as he builds towards the main targets of his 2025 season, including the World Championships and key Diamond League meets.
With his trademark explosive starts and unyielding top-end speed back on display, the African sprint star looks primed to chase more history in the months ahead.
