Noah Lyles Powers to Rome Diamond League 100m Victory as Ferdinand Omanyala Endures Tough Night

Reigning Olympic champion Noah Lyles put up a good fight to win the men’s 100m at the Diamond League Meeting in Rome.

Noah Lyles clocked 9.88 seconds to cross the finish line first, ahead of Emmanuel Eseme, who finished second in 9.94 seconds.

Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo rounded up the podium in 9.95 seconds, as world indoor champion Jordan Anthony, who trains with Noah Lyles, came in fourth in a time of 9.96 seconds.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala could only afford an eighth-place finish in the race after a slow start off the blocks. Ferdinand Omanyala clocked 10.11 seconds.

"I had a great finish. I can go again. Who wants to go? I was having a great block session yesterday. I showed it today. This season might be different, but it doesn't mean the goal is different," Noah Lyles said.

"I am not showing anywhere to lose. I am here to win. 10m before the finish line, I knew the race was over, and I had already won it. I was thinking about how I was going to celebrate it."

Ferdinand Omanyala has enjoyed an impressive outdoor season so far, having already recorded four sub-10-second performances ahead of his latest meeting in Xiamen.

He began his season indoors, competing at the Meeting de Paris Indoor, the Elite Indoor Track Miramas Meeting, and the Russian Winter Games.

Omanyala then opened his outdoor campaign at the Lefika International Relays in Botswana, before lining up for his first 100m race of the season at the Cape Miller Continental Tour, where he won in 10.19 seconds.

The 30-year-old then clocked his first sub-10 at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix, winning the race in 9.98 seconds. He further improved his form at the Kip Keino Classic, winning the men’s 100m in 9.96 seconds, before heading to the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, where he finished on the podium in 9.95 seconds.

The reigning Commonwealth Games champion was part of Team Kenya at the World Athletics Relays, where the men’s 4x100m team did not qualify for the World Championships in Beijing in 2027, although they set a national record time of 38.27 seconds.

His most recent performances came at the Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai, where he finished second in 9.98 seconds, with Gift Leotlela taking victory in 9.97 seconds and taking victory in the men’s 100m at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen in 9.94 seconds.

Ferdinand Omanyala then lined up for the men’s 100m at the 19° Triveneto Meeting Internazionale, winning his final in 10.11 seconds.