Kenya wins first gold at Commonwealth Games after Omanyala wins

GEOFFREY MBUTHIA ENTERTAINMENT SUB-EDITOR

04 August 2022

• Omanyala clocked 10:02 seconds under windy situation to become the first Kenyan since Seraphine Antao in the 1960 to win gold in the sprints at a major championship.

• Defending champion Akani Simbine of South Africa took the silver in 10:13 secs with Sri Lankan Yukun Abeykoon taking bronze in 10:14.

At the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Kenya's first gold medal was won by African 100-meter champion Ferdinand Omanyala.

Omanyala won gold in the sprints in a significant competition with a time of 10:02 seconds in a windy environment, becoming the first Kenyan to do so since Seraphine Antao in 1960.

South African Akani Simbine, the defending champion, won silver in 10:13 seconds, and Sri Lankan Yukun Abeykoon earned third in 10:14.

At the recently finished World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, Omanyala lost in the semifinals.