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He is back: Omanyala wins Addis Ababa Grand Prix 100m in blistering run
18th April, 2026 06:41 PM
Ferdinand Omanyala emerged as the winner of the Addis Ababa Grand Prix 100-metre final on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Ethiopia.
The Kenyan headlined a competitive field of African sprinters, easily distancing himself from the pack to cross the line emphatically in a time of 9.98s.
Haitian-American Chris Borzor secured second place, crossing the line in 10.16s.
Dominant finish
Coming up against a field that included Ethiopian talent and other East African stars, the African record holder made an explosive start to establish an early lead.
He pulled away from the pack midway through the race, sprinting to victory with a dominant finish. This performance serves as a perfect warm-up for the athlete ahead of his highly anticipated appearance at the Absa Kip Keino Classic.
Omanyala, who famously holds the African record in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 9.77 seconds, continues to be the man to beat on the continent.
He set that historic mark on September 18, 2021, at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. Though he finished second in that specific race behind American Trayvon Bromell (who ran 9.76s), his 9.77s was enough to shatter the previous continental record held by South Africa’s Akani Simbine.
Sub-10 finish
The sub-10 finish is his first since running 9.88 in Poland in 2024, and provides a massive confidence boost for the Kenyan as he heads to the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi next week.
The Addis Ababa meet serves as the opening leg of a four-meet African sequence that includes the Kip Keino Classic, the Botswana Golden Grand Prix (Gaborone), and the Simbine Classic (Pretoria).
The Nairobi showpiece, scheduled for next week, will see Omanyala looking to reclaim his crown at home.
In the 2025 edition held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Omanyala was denied a third consecutive title, settling for third place in a star-studded final.
During that fiercely contested race, Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy stole the show with a lifetime best of 9.98s, while South Africa’s teenage sensation Bayanda Walaza claimed second in 10.03s.
Gabby Thomas and Mercy Oketch face off
Meanwhile, Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas is primed for a heavyweight showdown with Kenya’s national outdoor and indoor 400m record holder Mercy Oketch when the two sprint stars toe the line in a mouth-watering 400m clash at the event.
