NAIROBI, Kenya, July 29, 2026 – Immediate former Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala has blamed the wet, cold night in Glasgow for his woeful performance in the semis of the men’s 100m on Tuesday.
Omanyala said the brutal weather conditions prevented him from giving his best and put paid to his ambitions of a second consecutive Commonwealth Games crown.
“That was a bad time…I have never been able to run well in the rain and I don’t like the rain so that got into head. The warm-up was great, but coming out here and running that time is a bit of a disappointment,” the African record holder said.
The 30-year-old was poised to win his third individual title at the senior level, following on from his gold medal at the same competition in Birmingham, four years ago.
Lo and behold! That dream was swept away under the pregnant rainy skies of Glasgow, Omanyala finishing a disappointing sixth in the second semi-finals after clocking 10.19 seconds.
Instead, the night belonged to another African, Cameroonian Emmanuel Esseme, who went on to clock 9.83 seconds to clinch his second title in the men’s 100m, this year.
Amidst the heartache, Esseme’s glory was a rare source of delight for Omanyala, who noted that African sprinters are increasingly coming into their own.
“I am happy with the growth of sprints in Africa. It’s a good thing…building the next generation. We started it, and I am happy that it is coming up,” the 2022 African champion said.
Still, the sprints sensation couldn’t help but reflect on a season that started so well but has since then plummeted to levels he never contemplated at the start of the year.
Five sub-10s in the months of April and May spoke volumes of a man who was getting his mojo back after struggling in the previous year.
The highlight of that blazing run was victory at the second leg of the Diamond League in Xiamen, where he stopped the clock at 9.94 seconds to take the top prize.
“This season was a season of restoration…after the disappointments of the past year. The Commonwealth Games was one of the goals we were chasing but we have missed it. Today, it didn’t go well. The body refused to fire so there’s nothing much I could do about it. It just happened so we have to process that,” he said.
With the next major international competition set for next year — the World Championships in Beijing — ‘Ferdie’ will have plenty of time to reflect and recollect himself.
Moreover, with the Diamond League ongoing, Africa’s fastest man will have the opportunity to console himself with podium finishes at the prestigious competition.
