Ferdinand Omanyala Backs Backs Kenya's 4x100m Team to Secure 2027 Worlds Spot After Near Miss in Botswana

Ferdinand Omanyala remains confident about Kenya’s men’s 4x100m relay team making the cut to the World Championships in Beijing in 2027.

The men’s 4x100m relay team went to the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, to qualify for the global showpiece but unfortunately fell short.

Competing in the heats, the team comprising Mark Otieno, Ronald Koech, Meshack Babu and Ferdinand Omanyala finished fifth in 38.50 seconds. Team Canada claimed top honours as Germany and Australia came in second and third, respectively.

In the qualifying round, where the top two teams were guaranteed a slot to the World Championships, Team Kenya finished third in a national record time of 38.27 seconds, narrowly missing out.

Ferdinand Omanyala explained that he has a strong passion for the 4×100m relay ever since he became involved in athletics.

Reflecting on the recent World Athletics Relays, he admitted that the team’s performance had fallen short of their expectations, which was disappointing for everyone involved.

However, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion emphasised that dwelling on the setback would not be productive, noting the importance of moving past the frustration and redirecting attention toward upcoming goals.

Ferdinand Omanyala added that he was optimistic about the rest of the season, pointing out that there would be several competitions ahead that would offer chances to improve and grow.

Omanyala ultimately conveyed his belief that Kenya would still have an opportunity to compete on the global stage in the near future, expressing assurance that they would make it to the next World Championships in Beijing.

“I’ve always had a thing for the 4x100m relay since I joined athletics, and yesterday didn’t go as we wanted, but the good thing is to shed off that disappointment and focus on what’s next. I’m looking forward to more competitions this year and more opportunities as well, and I’m sure we’ll be in Beijing next year,” Ferdinand Omanyala said.

Speaking about the second qualifying round of the relays, Ferdinand Omanyala added that his acceleration had come in the later stages of the race, but he still considered the performance a solid one overall.

Omanyala explained that he had been competing under significant pressure following their earlier showing on Saturday, which had not met expectations.

He admitted that he was frustrated with his teammates after that performance, but was pleased that they responded positively on Sunday by delivering a much better race.

Ferdinand Omanyala went on to note that the earlier run had seemed somewhat slow due to weak baton changes and less effective take-offs, which affected their overall rhythm.

However, he highlighted that during the warm-up before the later race, the team had worked on synchronising their block reactions, and he observed that this adjustment made a noticeable difference in their execution.

“I was picking up my speed late, but that was a good run. I was running under a lot of pressure from how we ran yesterday (Saturday). I was a bit mad at the boys from that, and I’m glad that they showed up today (Sunday) and did a good run, so I’m glad,” Ferdinand Omanyala said.

“I feel like it was a bit sluggish because the exchanges were not as good as today, the take-offs too, but we had to do the reactions from the blocks together during the warm-up, and I saw it work.”

Ferdinand Omanyala explained that his primary objective was to successfully navigate the African tour, where he recorded three sub-10-second performances within a month, competing at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix, Kip Keino Classic and Botswana Golden Grand Prix.

He further mentioned that there was a possibility of competing in the Chinese legs of the Diamond League if he secured a spot in the lineup.

However, he clarified that if that opportunity did not materialise, he would instead resume competing in June, using that period to gradually build momentum for the rest of the season.

“The main thing for us was to get through this African tour, three sub-10’s in a month, finishing it off with the relays. I think I’ll just go back to training for three weeks unless we get a lane in the Chinese Diamond Leagues. If not, I’ll pick up the competitions in June,” he added.