Omanyala breaks silence after the stealing show at Addis Ababa Grand Prix
By Joel Masibo, April 19, 2026Africa’s record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala, has broken the silence after claiming victory in the men’s 100 metres at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix held on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Facing a strong lineup of African competitors, the Kenyan star delivered an outstanding performance, pulling clear of his rivals to win convincingly in 9.98 seconds.
American-born Haitian sprinter Chris Borzor finished in second position after clocking 10.16 seconds. Following the victory in Ethiopia, Omanyala took his joy to Facebook on Sunday morning, April 19, 2026.
”I found my rhythm when I realised the step backwards was part of the dance. The world calls it a setback. Champions call it timing. You do not lose momentum when you step back. You load up,” Omanyala said.
Commanding performance
Competing against athletes from Ethiopia and other East African nations, the African record holder exploded off the starting blocks to seize control early in the race. By the halfway mark, he had stretched his advantage and powered through to a comfortable win. The result offers ideal preparation ahead of his much-anticipated participation at the Absa Kip Keino Classic.
Omanyala, who still owns Africa’s fastest-ever 100m time of 9.77 seconds, remains one of the continent’s most formidable sprinters. He achieved that landmark time on September 18, 2021, at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, breaking the previous African mark set by South Africa’s Akani Simbine.
Return to sub-10 form
This victory marked his first time running under 10 seconds since posting 9.88 in Poland in 2024, giving him renewed confidence ahead of the upcoming Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi slated for Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The Addis Ababa competition opened a four-leg African series that also includes the Botswana Golden Grand Prix and the Simbine Classic.
At next week’s Nairobi meet, Omanyala will aim to regain his title after finishing third during the 2025 edition at Ulinzi Sports Complex. In that race, Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy won with a personal best of 9.98 seconds, while rising South African talent Bayanda Walaza secured second place in 10.03 seconds.
Star clash expected in women’s race
Attention is also building ahead of a major showdown in the women’s race, where Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas is set to compete against Kenya’s 400m record holder Mercy Oketch in what promises to be a thrilling contest.