Ferdinand Omanyala: Why Kenya’s Historic 4 x100m World Championship Qualification Will Redefine Kenyan Sprinting

 

Ferdinand Omanyala (second from left) with teammates Stephen Odhiambo, Meshack Babu and Bonface Mweresa after Kenya qualified for the World Athletics Championships.

Ferdinand Omanyala has explained why Kenya’s historic 4 x 100m relay qualification at the upcoming Tokyo World Championships will forever change the country’s sprinting.

Kenya’s sprinting revolution has reached a new milestone. For the first time in over 40 years , the country qualified for the World Athletics Championships in the men’s 4x100m relay last Sunday in China — a landmark moment that Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, believes will redefine the nation’s sprinting identity.

 

In a tightly contested heat against the likes of Kishane Thompson’s Jamaica, Boniface Mweresa gave Kenya a sharp start, exploding out of the blocks before passing the baton to Omanyala on the backstretch.

 

Omanyala did what he does best — turned on the afterburners — and handed the baton over with a solid gap to Meshack Babu.

 

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The third leg runner resisted pressure from Belgium’s Kobe Vleminickx before safely delivering to Stephen Odhiambo. The anchor man held off a late Belgian surge to clock 38.51 seconds — enough to finish second behind Belgium, who edged the heat with a national record of 38.49.

 

The performance not only booked Kenya’s ticket to the World Championships in September but also signaled a new chapter for a country globally renowned for distance running.

 

Ferdinand Omanyala: This Will Change Kenyan Sprinting

Ferdinand Omanyala: Why Kenya’s Historic 4 x100m World Championship Qualification Will Redefine Kenyan Sprinting

Ferdinand Omanyala . / Team Kenya

“I loved it when we qualified,” Omanyala said after setting a new African Record in the 150 meters at the Atlanta Games. “You could see from the photos and the videos — I was extremely happy because it’s been my dream to draw as many sprinters as possible in this country.”

 

Omanyala, who normally anchors the relay, revealed the team took a risk by changing the order — a move that ultimately paid off.

 

“We made a big change. Usually I always anchor, but this time I ran the second leg. I told them, ‘This stick is going to get to you ahead of these guys.’ That psyched them up. The race was already made on the backstretch. From there, it was just about pushing to the end.”

 

The impact of this qualification, Omanyala insists, goes beyond just statistics or medals.

 

“For me, it’s a plus because they’re going to have a different experience once they get to the World Championships. All those athletes going for the 4×1 will leave with a completely different perspective on athletics,” he said. “It’s about more than the race — it’s about seeing what the professional sprint world looks like.”

 

Omanyala’s belief in relays as a springboard for Kenyan sprinting predates his rise to stardom in the 100m.”

 

Ferdinand Omanyala: We Can Inspire Generations

Ferdinand Omanyala: Why Kenya’s Historic 4 x100m World Championship Qualification Will Redefine Kenyan Sprinting

“Funny thing is, when I started sprinting, I never imagined I’d become a star in the 100m. My hope and faith was all in the relay. I believed the relay could do better. And now, the relay is catching up — and we’re just inspiring generations,” he said.

 

As Kenya heads to the global stage with its quartet of Mweresa, Omanyala, Babu, and Odhiambo, the country does so with more than just a qualifying time. It carries a new sense of identity — one that embraces the sprint lanes as confidently as it has the high-altitude endurance trails.

 

“I’m hoping that the relay team will always be in major championships going forward,” said Omanyala. “Because once we get there, everything changes.”