Africa’s fastest man, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala Wednesday got the better of home favourite Akani Simbine after winning the 100m race in a season’s best time of 9.98 seconds.
Omanyala was competing at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix 4 at Germiston Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Simbine, who is Africa’s 100m champion, finished second also in a season’s best time of 10.11 seconds as another South African Bradley Nkoana placed a distant third in 10.38 seconds.
It was the second meeting between Omanyala and Simbine, the latter who is also the Commonwealth Games the 100m champion.
They first met on September 3 last year at the Brussels leg of the Diamond League where Omanyala finished fourth in 10:02 seconds with Simbine coming in sixth in 10.18.
Omanyala, who is now a global brand, will be remembered for his heroics after he shattered Simbine’s Africa 100m record, when he finished second in 9.77 seconds during the Absa Kip Keino Classic last year, a race won by American Trayvon Bromell in 9.76 seconds.
Simbine’s previous Africa record stood at 9.84 seconds and will also be remembered for his Commonwealth Games title in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018 after bagging the Africa title in Asaba, Nigeria, the same year.