Ferdinand Omanyala Targets Noah Lyles Revenge in Paris Diamond League Showdown

Africa's fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, is seeking redemption this weekend as he prepares for a high-stakes 100m showdown against American sprint sensation Noah Lyles at the Paris Diamond League.

The two sprinters first met this season at the Rome Diamond League on June 4, where the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion had a surprisingly tough race, finishing eighth in 10.11 seconds.

Noah Lyles dominated the field, clocking 9.88 seconds for the win, followed by Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (9.94) and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.95).

Despite the result in Rome, Ferdinand Omanyala is optimistic and looking forward to the rematch in the French capital.

"I am glad we are going to do a rematch in Paris because in Rome I had hitches at the blocks and didn’t really come out at 100 per cent," Ferdinand Omanyala stated, as quoted by Star Sports. "I am looking forward to seeing how it’s going to be."

To sharpen his form, Ferdinand Omanyala competed at the Kenyan National Championships on Saturday. The event, which also served as trials for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, saw him in scintillating form.

He successfully defended his national title with a time of 10.00 seconds, comfortably ahead of Meshack Babu (10.20) and former national record holder Mark Otieno (10.32).

However, his recent European outings have been mixed. At the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands, on Sunday, the 30-year-old sprinter finished fifth in 10.13 seconds. South Africa’s Akani Simbine won that race in 10.08.

Meanwhile, Lyles enters the Paris showdown in peak condition, having recently shattered the world 150m record at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting on June 16. He blazed to a time of 14.67 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 14.92 set by Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.

The Paris 100m field is stacked with talent, featuring Eseme, Simbine, Britain’s Jeremiah Azu, Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, and Americans Jordan Anthony and Trayvon Bromell, promising a thrilling contest.

Despite his stumble in Rome, Omanyala currently leads the Diamond League standings with 16 points, just ahead of South Africa’s Gift Leotlela (15 points) and American Kenneth Bednarek (11 points). The Kenyan admitted that leading the series at this point has surpassed his initial goals for the year.

"This season for me was a season of restoration and just getting back to the top. But honestly, I am glad we are at the top," he said.

Ferdinand Omanyala emphasised that consistency will be key to maintaining his lead over the next two months. "The road to the final continues, so the next two months will be very crucial," he observed, adding that winning his first Diamond League Finals trophy is a major goal. "The Diamond League final trophy is definitely on my target."