Kenyan sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala has qualified for the semifinals of the 100 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after clocking 10.08s to comfortably win Heat Two of Round One of the event which took place on Saturday morning at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris.
Ali Chituru of Italy was second in that race, finishing with a time of 10.12s.
The German Joshua Hartmann finished third with a time of 10.16s.
Omanyala, who has the second fastest time (9.79s) in the event in 2024, got off to a good start and after picking momentum, he cruised comfortbaly to the finally totally unbothered by the other sprinters' effort to catch up with him.
It was a display of dominance that affirms his status as the African record holder in the event and also, justify his World Athletics ranking as the fourth best 100 metres sprinter in the world this year.
Speaking after the race, Omanyala stated that he did not wish to overextend on the first day.
"Today is only the first day and I did not want to burn myself out. Today was just about introducing myself, having fun, and feeling the track. The real business it tomorrow," the Kenyan said.
Round One of the 100 metres featured eight heats. The top three in each heat qualified for the semifinals automatically. Of the remaining runners, the top three athletes with the fastest times proceeded to the semifinals.
The top three finishers from the other Round One Heats were as follows:
HEAT ONE
1. Kishane Thompson (Jamaica), 10.00s
2. Benjamin Azamati (Ghana), 10.08s
3. Reynaldo Espinosa (Cuba), 10.11s
HEAT THREE
1. Louie Hinchliffe (Great Britain), 9.98s
2. Noah Lyles (USA), 10.04s
3. Shaun Maswanganyi (South Africa), 10.06s
HEAT FOUR
1. Oblique Seville (Jamaica), 9.99s
2. Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Japan), 10.02s
3. Puripol Boonsoon (Thailand), 10.13s
HEAT FIVE
1. Kayinsola Ajayi (Nigeria), 10.02s
2. Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy), 10.05s
3. Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (Ghana), 10.06s
HEAT SIX
1. Akani Simbine (South Africa), 10.03s
2. Ackeem Blake (Jamaica), 10.06s
3. Rikkoi Braithwaite (British Virgin Islands), 10.13s
HEAT SEVEN
1. Kenneth Bednarek (USA), 9.97s
2. Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon), 9.98s
3. Andre de Grasse (Canada), 10.07s
HEAT EIGHT
1. Fred Kerley (USA), 9.97s
2. Letsile Tebogo (Botswana), 10.01s
3. Zharnel Hughes (Great Britain), 10.03s
Benjamin Richardson of South Africa (10.06s), Emmanuel Matadi of Liberia (10.08s), and Favour Ashe of Nigeria (10.16s) made it to the semifinals as the athletes with the three fastest times among those who did not finish in the top three of their heats.
The semifinals and final of the 100 metres will take place on Sunday, August 4, at 9:05 pm EAT and 10:50 pm EAT respectively.
In the Repechage Round of the women's 800 metres, Kenya's representative Vivian Kiprotich Chebet narrowly escaped elimination after qualifying for the semifinals among the athletes with the fastest times. Chebet finished second in her heat with a time of 1:59.31, a time that was good enough to make her the athlete with fastest time among those who did not win their heats.
Chebet was relegated to the Repechage Round after finishing fifth in her heat on Friday hence failing to join her compatriots Mary Moraa and Lilian Odira who qualified for the semifinals automatically after finishing in the top three positions in their heats.
To qualify for the semifinals from the Repechage Round, Chebet either had to win her heat to secure automatic qualification or be among the two finishers with the fastest times.
Chebet competed in Heat Four of the Repechage Round which she was winning comfortably until she faded in the last few metres, allowing the German Matjie Kolberg at the finish line to win the race with a time of 1:59.08. Luckily for Chebet, the heat's fast pace enabled her to book a place in the semifinals of the women's 800 metres which will take place on Sunday 4 August.
