Kenyans have lengthy dominated the rostrum in relation to lengthy distance working, however now Ferdinand Omanyala is seeking to encourage a brand new era of runners and rework Kenya right into a “sprinting nation.”
The 26-year-old is main by instance after he secured a number of victories this 12 months. In Might, Omanyala was first to the boys’s 100 meter end line on the World Athletics Continental Tour. The next month, he clinched first place within the 100m once more after a photo-finish on the African Athletic Championships. And Omanyala earned Kenya its first 100m gold medal in 60 years on the 2022 Commonwealth Video games.
The sprinter, who made it to the 100m semi-finals within the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Video games, says he's constantly coaching for the subsequent competitors.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Lintao Zhang/Getty Pictures
Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya: The 36-year-old marathoner is taken into account among the many "biggest of all time," and Kipchoge confirmed it as soon as once more on the Tokyo Olympics, successful gold within the males's marathon. That is back-to-back wins for the Kenyan famous person, making him solely the third man ever to defend his gold medal on this occasion.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Eugene Hoshiko/AP
Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya: Kipchoge's fellow Kenyan took gold within the girls's marathon with a time of 2:27:20, simply forward of teammate and world record-holder Brigid Kosgei, who took the silver medal.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Kyodo by way of AP Pictures
Peruth Chemutai, Uganda: On the monitor inside Tokyo's Nationwide Stadium, Chemutai entered the report books for Uganda within the girls's 3,000-meter steeplechase by changing into the primary lady to win gold for her nation in any sport.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Charlie Riedel/AP
Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda: Extra historical past for Uganda got here from world record-holder Cheptegei, who received gold within the males's 5,000m and silver within the males's 10,000m -- changing into the primary Ugandan to win two Olympic medals on the similar Video games.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Vincent Thian/AP
Feryal Abdelaziz, Egypt: Within the girls's +61kg karate kumite occasion, which made its debut at Tokyo 2020, Abdelaziz (left) grew to become the primary lady from Egypt to win a gold medal for her nation.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Pictures
Religion Kipyegon, Kenya: Kenya celebrated extra record-breaking success on the monitor when Kipyegon defended her gold medal within the girls's 1,500m, setting a brand new Olympic report within the course of.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Mike Egerton/PA Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Uche Eke, Nigeria: The younger athlete grew to become the first gymnast to qualify and compete for Nigeria on the Olympics.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Carl Recine/Reuters
Tatjana Schoenmaker, South Africa: A vivid spot for South Africa in Tokyo was Schoenmaker, who received swimming gold within the girls's 200m breaststroke by setting a world report. She additionally took the silver medal within the girls's 100m breaststroke.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Patrick Smith/Getty Pictures
Selemon Barega, Ethiopia: Crossing the end line forward of Ugandans Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, Barega captured the gold medal within the males's 10,000 meters.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Maddie Meyer/Getty Pictures
Ahmed Hafnaoui, Tunisia: In males's swimming, a teen shocked the sector when 18-year-old Halnaoui took gold within the males's 400m freestyle -- the primary swimming medal for Tunisia since 2012.
Pictures: These African athletes made historical past at Tokyo 2020
Cameron Spencer/Getty Pictures
Soufiane El Bakkali, Morocco: Morocco made historical past with its first gold within the males's 3,000m steeplechase, when El Bakkali topped an all-Africa podium forward of Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma (left) who took silver and Kenya's Benjamin Kigen (proper) with the bronze.
For Omanyala, racing is “90% psychological.” Together with rigorous coaching and exercise classes, the monitor star says his trick to protecting calm is to visualise the occasion for weeks main as much as race day.
“There are at all times two sides of a race: you both win or lose. So, I at all times visualize each, in order that once I get right into a race and one thing occurs, it doesn’t hit me that tough as a result of I’ve already visualized that,” he mentioned.
Reflecting on his profession, Omanyala says one among his largest accomplishments was setting the African 100-meter report on the Kip Keino Basic in 2021, regardless of lacking out on gold by 0.01 seconds. With a time of 9.77, Omanyala grew to become Africa’s quickest sprinter and the ninth quickest man in historical past.
“I keep in mind I by no means recovered for like a month. I used to be simply nonetheless pondering, ‘Is it a dream? I’m not believing that that is taking place,’” he mentioned.
Now, the sprinter has his sights set on breaking the 100m world report, which is at present held by Usain Bolt with a time of 9.58 seconds. “I’m in search of working 9.6 this season after which taking it down within the close to future,” he mentioned.
Watch the video above to see how Omanyala is coaching the subsequent era of sprinters.
0 comments: