Silesia DL: Omanyala finishes second in 100 metres race as Arop upstages Wanyonyi

Kenyan sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala clocked 9.88 seconds to finish second in the 100 metres at the Silesia stage of the 2024 Diamond League in Poland on Sunday, seeking redemption after his failure to make the final of the 100 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The 28-year-old warmed up for the race by winning two 100-metre races at the Josko Laufmeeting in Austria last Sunday, recording times of 9.95 seconds and 10.00 seconds. This time, victory eluded him narrowly as Fred Kerley edged him out in a photo finish, winning with a meet record time of 9.87 seconds. Jamaica's Ackeem Blake finished third with a personal best time of 9.89 seconds, while former Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy clocked 9.93 seconds to place fourth. Notably, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games silver medalist Kishane Thompson of Jamaica did not start the race.

Fred Kerley 🇺🇸 clocks a time of 9.87s (+1.9) to win the men's 100m at the Silesia Diamond League!

2. Ferdinand Omanyala 🇰🇪 9.88
3. Ackeem Blake 🇯🇲 9.89 PB
4. Marcell Jacobs 🇮🇹 9.93 https://t.co/Wb1ZIcb4oH

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) August 25, 2024

In the men’s 800 metres, Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi finished second with a time of 1:43.23, narrowly losing to Sudan-born Canadian Marco Arop, who won with a meet record time of 1:41.86. This marked the third time this year that at least one athlete has finished ahead of Wanyonyi. However, the 20-year-old Kenyan still holds the world-leading time in the event this year after winning in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a time of 1:41.11, the event’s joint-second fastest time all-time. Kenya's Wycliffe Kinyamal, the meet's previous record holder, finished fifth with a time of 1:43.54, while American Bryce Hoppel clocked 1:43.32 to take third.

In the women’s 1,000 metres, which featured 800 metres world champion Mary Moraa, Nelly Chepchirchir won with a meet record and world-leading time of 2:31.24. Moraa finished third with a personal best of 2:33.43, while Great Britain's Rekkie Jemma clocked 2:32.56 to place second. Uganda's Halimah Nakaayi, the 2019 World Athletics Championships women's 800 metres champion, finished fourth with a time of 2:33.44. Kenya's Vivian Chebet did not finish the race.

In the men's 3,000 metres, Ronald Kwemoi and Nicholas Kipkorir struggled, finishing fifth and ninth with times of 7:31.57 and 7:33.46, respectively. Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen won with a world record time of 7:17.55, followed by Ethiopian athletes Berihu Aregawi (7:21.28), Yomif Kejelcha (7:28.44), and Haile Bekele (7:30.97).

In the men's 3,000 steeplechase, Kenya's Amos Serem narrowly missed victory, finishing just behind Olympic and World Champion Lamecha Girma, as both athletes clocked 8:04.29 in a photo finish. Samuel Firewu placed third with a time of 8:04.34, while Serem's compatriot Abraham Kibiwot, who won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, finished fourth with a time of 8:08.21. Another Kenyan, Wilberforce Kones, did not finish the race.

Good run by Amos Serem in 3000m SC. Great improvement. https://t.co/D1tEhHErwm

— 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒖𝒔 𝑲𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 🇰🇪 (@Konesjk) August 25, 2024

The women's 1,500 metres race showcased the struggle to find a suitable heir to the great Faith Kipyegon, with Susan Ejore clocking 3:59.97 to finish seventh. Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji won with a time of 3:57.08, while Freweyni Hailu came second with 3:57.88. Georgia Bell of Great Britain finished third with a time of 3:58.11.

In the men's 200 metres, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo continued his dominance, winning with a meet record of 19.83 seconds. Alexandar Ogando of the Dominican Republic placed second with a time of 19.86 seconds, while Kenneth Bednarek of the USA clocked 20.00 seconds to finish third. Liberian Joseph Fahnbulleh and South Africa's Shaun Maswanganyi finished sixth and seventh with times of 20.39 seconds and 20.55 seconds, respectively.