‘The rain affected my performance,’ says Omanyala after Glasgow exit

Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has blamed the wet conditions in Glasgow for his failure to defend the Commonwealth Games 100m title, saying the rain disrupted his performance in Tuesday's semifinal.

The Kenyan sprinter finished sixth in Semi-final Two in 10.19 seconds, missing out on a place in the final. Nigeria's Kayinsola Ajayi won the heat in 9.94 seconds,

“I had prepared well for the competition. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to defend the title, but the rain affected my performance. I guess I'm not good when it comes to racing in the rain,” said Omanyala.

Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme went on to claim gold in a Commonwealth Games record and national record of 9.83 seconds, despite the rain-soaked track.

Eseme's victory made him the first Cameroonian to win the Commonwealth men's 100m title and underlined Africa's growing strength in the sprint events.

Omanyala, who made history by winning Kenya's first Commonwealth men's 100m title in 60 years at the 2022 Birmingham Games, admitted the weather got the better of him.

Despite his disappointment, the 29-year-old welcomed the rapid rise of African sprinting, saying the continent is beginning to challenge the world's traditional sprint powerhouses.

“I am very happy to be part of the people who have inspired African countries to invest in sprints. For us as a continent to win a gold medal means we can only get better.”

Having fallen short in his title defence, Omanyala says he will now reassess his season as he looks to bounce back ahead of future major championships.

"This was supposed to be my restoration season after having a poor season last year. Now it's time to go back, reflect on the results and find a way to improve my performance."