Omanyala keen to ignite season momentum at Addis Ababa Grand Prix

The Kenyan sprint star opened his 2026 campaign in encouraging fashion last Friday at the Cape Milers Meeting in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where he stormed to victory in 10.19 seconds (+0.7 m/s).

He finished ahead of South Africa’s Ubay Arend (10.55s) and Keegan Van Der Merwe (10.56s), underlining a solid start to his outdoor season.

Speaking to Citizen Digital during a virtual interview in Addis Ababa, Omanyala said he is focused on sharpening his rhythm as the season progresses.

“The opening of my season was good. I felt stronger and I’m just feeling like I want to compete, so looking forward to seeing how this is going to turn out,” he said.

Omanyala will lead a Kenyan sprint team that includes Mark Otieno, Isaac Omurwa and Samuel Chege, as Kenya continues to strengthen its presence in global sprinting.

“I’m glad that we are a couple of sprinters from Kenya here,” he added, describing the race as an important stepping stone in a busy schedule that includes the Kip Keino Classic, and the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone.

Currently ranked 15th in the world, Omanyala is also seeking to regain consistent sub-10 form ahead of a packed international calendar. His last sub-10 performance came at the Silesia Diamond League in August 2024, where he clocked 9.88 seconds for second place.

The Kenyan sprint king is also working to stabilise his training setup after parting ways with his coach in September 2025 before later reuniting with Duncan Ayiemba — a move expected to strengthen his push back to top form.

After Addis Ababa, Omanyala will shift focus to Nairobi for the Kip Keino Classic, where he is set to face a strong international field including Canada’s Aaron Brown, South Africa’s Rivaldo Roberts and Gift Leotlela, as well as American trio Brandon Hicklin, Sam Blaskowski and Pjai Austin.

The Addis Ababa Grand Prix marks the start of a busy African stretch on the World Athletics Continental Tour, which continues with the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on 24 April, the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone on 26 April, and the Simbine Classic in Pretoria on 28 April.

As the sprint season intensifies, Omanyala’s performance in Addis Ababa will offer an early indicator of his form heading into a crucial block of international competition.