Gabby Thomas Breaks 11-Second Barrier as Ferdinand Omanyala Dips Under 10 Seconds in Botswana

American sprinter Gabby Thomas has finally broken the elusive 11-second barrier in the 100m, storming to a personal best of 10.95 seconds to claim victory at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on Sunday, April 26.

The Olympic 200m champion had been knocking on the door of a sub-11 performance, most recently winning the 100m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi just two days prior.

However, a headwind limited her to a time of 11.01, prolonging her wait. She also clocked 11.13 seconds to win the women’s 100m at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix.

That wait ended emphatically in Gaborone. Competing at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, Thomas delivered a powerful performance from the blocks, surging ahead of the field to secure the win.

Her time of 10.95s comfortably beat fellow American Cambrea Sturgis, who finished second in 11.07, and Canada's Audrey Leduc, who took third in 11.10.

This victory marks Gabby Thomas's third consecutive 100m win at Continental Tour Gold events in Africa this season.

In the men's 100m, Canada's Jerome Blake made a spectacular start to his outdoor season, clocking a huge personal best of 9.93 seconds to win a highly competitive race.

Blake edged out a world-class field that included African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya and fellow Canadian Andre De Grasse, the reigning Olympic 200m champion.

This was Jerome Blake’s first race of the season since the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. He was part of the Canadian 4x100m relay team that secured a silver medal.

Both Ferdinand Omanyala and Andre De Grasse crossed the line in a dead heat at 9.95 seconds, sharing second place behind the triumphant Blake.

Ferdinand Omanyala has been in great form this season, kickstarting his 100m campaign at the Cape Miller Continental Tour, where he clocked 10.19 seconds.

The Commonwealth Games champion then secured a win in the men’s 100m at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix, clocking 9.98 seconds. He then wowed the home crowd at the Kip Keino Classic, clocking 9.96 seconds to win the race.