Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man, is eager to deliver a fast performance in the 100m at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, later today. The 28-year-old will face World Champion Noah Lyles, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes in a highly anticipated race expected to be the highlight of the meet.

At a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston on Friday, Omanyala discussed his goals and the significance of competing in Jamaica.

“Since the start of the season, I haven’t had good weather to run in because I have been running in rain, cold weather, so I’m happy I’m in Jamaica and it’s very hot," Omanyala said. "Looking at my previous runs in hot weather, my best one was in Botswana where I ran 9.78, so I am looking forward to running and I am looking for a very fast time.”

Omanyala expressed his excitement about finally making it to Jamaica after multiple invitations.

“I am happy to be in Jamaica. I’ve been invited more than twice, so I’m glad I made it this time because it’s far from home. I am glad at this time it came up at a point where we are having our US tour, so it was close, and I am happy to be here. I’ve been told I have so many fans, so I want to see that on Saturday.”

The Kenyan sprinter also explained why he has set his sights on Usain Bolt’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, set in August 2009 at the Berlin World Championships.

“When I started running, the African record was far, and nobody thought that it could be broken, but we broke it twice. So, the same thing I say for all records—it is not that it is impossible, so we’ll get there,” said Omanyala, who holds the African record of 9.77 seconds set at the Kip Keino Classic in 2021.

With favorable weather conditions and a strong field of competitors, Omanyala is poised to make a significant impact at the Racers Grand Prix. Fans are eagerly awaiting his performance, hoping to witness a thrilling race and potentially record-breaking time.

Oblique Seville continued his good form Sunday post last month's 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest when he finished second in the 100m at the Boris Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb, Croatia.

Seville, who clocked 10.88s for fourth place in the 100m final in Budapest, clocked 10.04 finishing just behind Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, who won in 9.94.

Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs finished third in 10.08.

Jamaican 100m champion Rohan Watson was seventh in 10.32.

After three electrifying semi-final rounds of the 100m on Sunday, Oblique Seville announced himself as a possible contender for the gold medal in the blue-ribbon sprint at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.

Seville will be joined by compatriot Ryiem Forde in the event that will crown a new champion this year, as defending champion  Fred Kerley was eliminated after finishing third in Seville’s heat.

Seville exploded from the blocks in the last of the three heats and took control mid-race before easing across the line in 9.90 and looking like he had much more in the tank. Letsile Tebogo of Botswana clinched the other automatic qualifying spot when he finished second on 9.98.

The big surprise was Kerley, the 2022 champion, who looked out of sorts while finishing third in 10.02 and will take no further part in the competition.

Noah Lyles, the brash American, who said he was going to win the gold medal in 9.65, stormed to victory in his semi-final heat in 9.87 punching the air as he crossed the line as he booked his place in the final. Japan’s Abdul Sani-Brown ran a personal best 9.97 to book his spot.

Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala who was third in 10.01 and who was on the bubble and dependent on how the other heats unfolded, celebrated his spot in the final as his time was 0.01 faster than Kerley’s.

Jamaica’s champion Rohan Watson missed out on a berth in the final when he finished fifth in the heat in 10.07.

Christian Coleman raced to a time of 9.88 to win the second semi-final heat comfortably ahead of Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, who clocked 9.93 for second place. Forde ran a personal best 9.95 for third place and a spot in the final.

Olympic and World Championship silver-medalist, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, continued her unbeaten start to the 2023 season by outdueling American 400m hurdles world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, to win the 400m at the Paris Diamond League on Friday.

McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning Olympic and World Champion and in the 400m hurdles, ran extremely aggressively in the first 300m before Paulino used her experience in the flat 400m to reel her in and cross the line first in 49.12. The American ran a personal best 49.71 for second while 2019 World Champion Salwa Eid Naser ran 49.95 for third.

Elsewhere on the track, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, who set a spectacular 1500m world record in Florence last week, was at it again, running 14:05.20 to set a new world record in the 5000m. Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, the previous world record holder, was second in 14:07.94 while her countrywomen Ejgayehu Taye was third in 14:13.31.

Commonwealth Champion, Kyron McMaster, ran a season’s best for fifth in the 400m hurdles.

The BVI native, who fell at the LA Grand Prix on May 27, ran 48.65. The race was won by American CJ Allen in 47.92 ahead of France’s Wilfried Happio (48.26) and World Championship bronze medalist Trevor Bassitt (48.28).

Jamaica’s Natoya Goule ran a season’s best 1:58.23 for third in the Women’s 800m. Keely Hodgkinson took the race in a new personal best, British record and world leading 1:55.77 while American Ajee Wilson was second in 1:58.16.

2011 World 100m champion, Yohan Blake, ran 10.16 for fourth in the Men’s 100m behind reigning 200m World Champion, Noah Lyles (9.96), Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (9.98) and Botswanan World Junior record holder Letsile Tebogo (10.05).

In the field, Jamaican 2019 World Championship silver medalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 19.25m for fourth in the Women’s shot put behind Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo (19.72m) and Americans Chase Ealey (19.43m) and Maggie Ewen (19.26m).