Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has pulled out of the 2025 Diamond League finals set for Tuesday in Zurich, Switzerland.
Omanyala revealed on social media that his withdrawal is due to an injury, even he hoped to represent the country at the 100m at the event.
“Due to recent hip, iliopsoas, and gluteal pain experienced over the past few weeks, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to participate in the Diamond League Finals 2025,” Omanyala announced.
Expressing his regrets, Omanyala maintained that he has been on the road to recovery and hopes to have regained his fitness by the time the World Athletics Championships kick off in Tokyo, Japan, next month.
His 2025 season has been a combination of highs and frustrations. He opened the year with a third-place finish at the ASA Grand Prix I in Pretoria before bouncing back with a win in the second leg in Johannesburg with a time of 10.08 seconds.
He had his best performance in March with a 10.09-second sprint during Uganda’s national trials.
His Diamond League campaign has been far from consistent, with a second-place finish in Xiamen, China, and Rabat, Morocco, before falling short in Shanghai, finishing last in a race that raised questions about his form, particularly during mid-season.
Omanyala’s most recent major outing was at the Kip Keino Classic, where he clocked 10.07 seconds to place third behind Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy and South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza.
It was after the Kip Keino Classic that Omanyala admitted ongoing struggles with his transition phase, which is one of the most critical parts of the 100m sprint.
Omanyala, whose power and speed heavily depend on full hip mobility and gluteal strength, may have withdrawn from the Diamond League finals as a precautionary measure, especially with the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo less than three weeks away.
