Missing Noah Lyles’ Time by Fractions, Fresh Rival Gears Up for Track and Field Glory at Prefontaine Classic 2023

The 2023 Diamond League finals are set to conclude later this week. After 13 meetings, a host of athletes will be competing for the ultimate prize at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. The men’s 100m final event will witness some of the fastest sprinters on the planet with the likes of Noah Lyles, Ferdinand Omanyala, and Letsile Tebogo, among others. Omanyala, who is currently the fastest African man, looks ready to take on the challenge after a disappointing run at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest.

Ferdinand Omanyala, the Commonwealth Games champion, finished seventh in Budapest behind the likes of Noah Lyles. He clocked a time of 10.07 seconds. However, with his latest run in Zagreb, the Kenyan looks set to redeem himself as he ended up beating the time of the reigning 100m Olympic champion, just days before the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.

Ferdinand Omanyala dazzles in Zagreb

Before coming to Zagreb, Ferdinand Omanyala had already secured two second-place finishes in the World Athletics Continental Silver Tour. He recorded 10.04 seconds in Switzerland and 10.15 seconds in Italy, as he lost both times to Jamaican Oblique Seville. However, the Kenyan got the better of Seville in Zagreb, when he won the 100m event in 9.94 seconds at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, per a tweet shared by World Athletics. Seville finished second in 10.07 seconds and Marcell Jacobs, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, finished third in 10.08 seconds.

This win is set to work as a morale booster for Omanyala, who was affected by his performance in Budapest. According to a Sports Brief report, his coach, Duncan Ayiemba was disappointed in Omanyala not winning a medal in Budapest. She hinted at the expectations of every Kenyan who hoped for his victory.

“However, everything did not go as planned and that affected his mentality,” the coach noted. Africa’s fastest man who boasts a personal best of 9.77 seconds, the ninth-fastest time in the 100m division, will have to bring his A-game to Eugene if he wants to get the better of the newly crowned 100m world champion, Noah Lyles.

Noah Lyles has dominated the 2023 season

Noah Lyles shares the world-leading time with Christian Coleman and Zharnel Hughes, for the men’s 100m this year with 9.83 seconds, per sources. Lyles ran his personal best time in Budapest and became the new 100m world champion. Whereas, Botswana’s Tebogo finished second and Great Britain’s Hughes came third. As for the 2023 Diamond League, Lyles has only participated once in the 100m event, which came in Paris. A close call, Lyles won the event in 9.97 seconds against Omanyala, who stopped the clock in 9.98 seconds.

Read more: “When Was the Last Time the US Won”: Honoring Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles Raises an Important Question Amidst World Athletics Championship

Noah Lyles has now bested the Kenyan twice this year who will be looking for a win later this week. As the 2023 Diamond League finals approach, fans will be waiting with bated breaths as two extremely fast athletes face off once again. This time, to determine the outcome of the 100m event at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic.

Watch this story: After Flaunting World Championship Medals, Noah Lyles Gets Back to Hustle Again Ahead of Prefontaine Diamond League