Omanyala looking to extend dominance over Simbine at Botswana Golden Grand Prix
Reigning Commonwealth Games 100m champion and African record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya and South Africa’s Akani Simbine will headline the blue ribband race at the FBN Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 12 in Gaborone.
The Kenyan will be seeking to extend his dominance over the South African and extend their head-to-head clashes to 8-1 at the event.
Omanyala, 29, and Simbine, 31, have not raced head-to-head since September 2023 when the former stormed home in second place ahead of the latter in third at the Gala dei Castelli, a World Athletics Silver tour event in Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Prior to that, Simbine secured his first win against Omanyala at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat, a Diamond League event in May, 2023.
With his first individual global medal finally secured following his bronze winning feat at the 20th World indoor championships in Nanjing, China last month, Simbine will be confident of starting a run of victories against the Kenyan who always disappears in big meets.
Omanyala did not only deny Simbine the opportunity to be crowned African champion and Commonwealth champion in 2022, a year earlier, he also broke the 9.84 African record he set in July with a commanding 9.77 run barely two months later.
