Omanyala dismisses age concerns after Commonwealth Games setback

Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala says age was not a factor in his disappointing performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, insisting he can still improve and compete at the highest level.

Speaking on Citizen TV's Sporty Monday show, Omanyala said he has put the Glasgow setback behind him and is now focused on finishing the season strongly as he builds towards next year's World Championships.

“Age is not a factor in that. In fact, many athletes win races and break records at their prime, so I believe I can only get better,” said Omanyala.

The 30-year-old's hopes of defending his Commonwealth 100m title ended in the semi-finals after he finished sixth in 10.19 seconds. He attributed the result to a slight injury sustained during training and the wet conditions in Glasgow.

“What happened is I sustained a slight injury in training before the race. So I had to deal with that and the wet conditions on that day, and you know such conditions are never my best to race in,” added Omanyala.

The setback came after a strong start to his 2026 campaign. Omanyala clocked a season-best 9.94 seconds to win the Xiamen Diamond League in May, his fifth sub-10-second performance of the season.

World Athletics currently lists Omanyala at having a personal best and African record of 9.77 seconds, set in Nairobi in 2021. He is also ranked 12th in the world in the men's 100m.

With the Commonwealth disappointment now behind him, Omanyala says his attention is firmly on the remaining Diamond League races.

“My focus now is to keep improving in every remaining race of the season. I want to finish the season on a high as I plan for the World Championships next year,” stated Africa's fastest man.

Omanyala will now look to regain his best form on the Diamond League circuit as he targets another strong campaign on the global stage.