Speedster Omanyala, American Justin Gatlin to grace Kip Keino Classic
National 100 m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala and American sprinter Justin Gatlin are set to grace this year’s Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour, set for September 18.
The duo will battle it for the bragging rights with 2015 world bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell also of the USA in contention.
Bromell has a world leading time of 9.77 seconds and will join the star-studded line up in the event that will be held in Kasarani Stadium.
Omanyala has been in awe-inspiring form this year having qualified for the semi-final stage at the Tokyo Olympics and later becoming the first Kenyan to run 100 m in under-10 seconds when he set a new national record of 9.86 seconds last month.
The 25-year-old made his debut at the Diamond League series in Brussels last week. He placed fourth in 10.02 seconds.
Prior to the Kip keino Classic, Omanyala is set to compete at the Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića race, another Continental Tour Gold meeting slated for September 13-14 in Zagreb, Croatia.
Gatlin is the fifth all-time fastest man, has won 10 medals from the World Championships that include four gold and six silvers, in addition to five medals from the Olympic Games; one gold, two silver and two bronze.
He won two world 100 m titles in 2005 and 2017, before settling for silver over the race at the 2019 World Championships.
Gatlin is mostly remembered for his heroics in the 100 m Olympic in Athens, settled for silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, before missing out at the just concluded 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
