Ferdinand Omanyala Begins Long Road to LA 2028 Olympic Games with More Races

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, has already shifted focus to the LA 2028 Olympic Games as he expressed his determination to defend his 100m crown at the upcoming 2026 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Ferdinand Omanyala has made coaching changes once again, getting back with his former coach, Duncan Ayiemba, in the hope of rebuilding as he begins the journey to the LA Olympic Games next season, with the Commonwealth Games.

The Kenyan sprinter stormed to victory at the 2022 edition of the event in Birmingham, clocking 10.02 seconds to edge out South Africa's Akani Simbine (10.13) and Sri Lanka's Yupun Abeykoon (10.14).

Ferdinand Omanyala was also a member of Kenya's 4x100m relay team, which unfortunately recorded a DNF in the final. With his sights now set on Glasgow, Ferdinand Omanyala is eager to retain his title.

"I want to defend that title next year. I really want to get back that feeling of winning. I don’t want that crown to leave the country. I always remember that day I won the Commonwealth like it was yesterday," Ferdinand Omanyala shared in an exclusive interview with The Star.

Despite a challenging 2025 season, Ferdinand Omanyala is confident in his ability to bounce back. The African record holder believes his mindset is now stronger than ever.

"It’s not my first time facing challenges; I have had them before. It took me six years to run under 10 seconds. All that time, I was waking up early and going to the track, determined to make it work," Ferdinand Omanyala shared.

"My main target is to push myself to the limit. That’s the mindset I’m carrying forward. I want to get better, work even harder, because as a professional athlete, I know my body, I know where to push and where not to."

To prepare, Ferdinand Omanyala plans to increase his competitive schedule. While Glasgow is his immediate focus, Ferdinand Omanyala is also building towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Ferdinand Omanyala’s ultimate ambition is to secure a medal on the global stage, a prize that has so far eluded him at both the World Championships and the Olympics.

"Next year I’m going to do more races. This season, we cut back on some races, but I want to test myself more. That’s what we are building towards now, the 2028 Olympics. Three years is not a long time," he declared.

"The global medal is what I’m chasing now. It won’t be easy, I know, but that’s my biggest target."

Ferdinand Omanyala has faced disappointment in his major championship appearances. He exited in the semi-finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (10.00) and again at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (10.08).

His World Championships journey has been similarly frustrating, with a semi-final exit in Eugene 2022, a seventh-place finish in the Budapest 2023 final, and another semi-final elimination at the recent Tokyo edition.