GLASGOW, Scotland — Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala has attributed his shock exit from the Commonwealth Games men’s 100 metres to wet weather after his title defence ended in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
The African record holder finished sixth in the second semi-final in 10.19 seconds, missing out on a place in the final and surrendering the Commonwealth title he won in Birmingham in 2022.
Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi won the race in 9.94 seconds, while Wales’ Jeremiah Azu secured the second automatic qualifying spot in 10.00 seconds. South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana was disqualified for a false start.
Earlier, fellow Kenyan Meshack Babu also exited the competition after finishing eighth in the opening semi-final in 10.39 seconds, leaving Kenya without a representative in the men’s 100m final.
‘My Body Refused to Fire’
Speaking after the race, Omanyala said the rainy conditions prevented him from producing his best performance.
“Let’s just say the body refused to fire, so there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m not a good person to run in the rain. It just happened, so we have to process that.”
The reigning Commonwealth champion admitted he needed time to reflect before fully assessing what had gone wrong.
“Not sure yet. I need to go back and let it sink in.“
Praises Growth of African Sprinting
Despite the disappointment, Omanyala welcomed the growing strength of African sprinting, noting that more athletes from the continent are now competing consistently at the highest level.
“The men’s 100m is like the second round of the African Championships. At least you have a lot of African representation. I’m happy with the growth of sprinting in Africa. It’s building the next generation, and we started it. I’m happy that it’s coming up.”
Asked whether he believed an African sprinter could win the final, Omanyala expressed confidence.
“Definitely.”
Focus Shifts to Los Angeles 2028
The Kenyan sprinter described the 2026 campaign as a season of rebuilding after a difficult 2025, revealing that retaining his Commonwealth crown had been one of his main objectives.
“This season was a season of restoration. Commonwealth was one of the goals that we were chasing, but we’ve missed it. I need to go back and soak it in.”
He added that his primary focus this year had been to rediscover his best form following last season’s struggles.
“Didn’t have a good season last year, so this year I was just coming back to it. Today didn’t go well. I do not run well in the rain, so that really affected me.”
