Kenya’s sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala saw his 2025 World Athletics Championships campaign come to an abrupt end in Tokyo after finishing fifth in the semifinals on Sunday, September 14.
Competing in Heat 2, Omanyala faced a highly competitive field just a day after squeezing through the quarterfinals with a third-place finish.
Despite a strong start, he was unable to keep pace with the frontrunners and missed out on a spot in the final.
Sprint Star Omanyala Fails to Advance After Fifth-Place Finish in World Championships Semis. Photo: Courtesy.
In a semifinal race which was always going to be tough for Africa’s fastest man, Omanyala finished fifth with a time of 10.09, with America’s Kenny Bednarek and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson securing a 9.85s photo finish.
The photo finish gave Thompson and Bednarek a ticket to the final with the top two finishers gaining automatic qualification.
Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain finished third after clocking 10.03, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a place.
On Saturday, Omanyala qualified for the semifinals after running 10.12 in the quarterfinals, a performance that kept alive hopes of a strong finish at the Championships.
Despite lowering that time on Sunday, the improvement fell short of securing him a place in the final.
