World Athletics Championships: Ferdinand Omanyala races to compete after travel visa issues

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala faces a race against time to compete at the World Athletics Championships after his American travel visa was approved.

The Kenyan, 26, who won the African 100m title last month, is due to race in the heats on Friday at the global event in Eugene, Oregon.

“I am not giving up on the World Championships yet,” told BBC Sport Africa.

“The information that I am out of the Championships is not true.”

Omanyala will fly from Kenya at 18:00 local time on Thursday, and is expected to arrive in Eugene less than three hours before the men’s 100m heats begin in the evening session on day one of the World Championships.

However, he will then need to clear United States customs, travel to the arena, pick up his accreditation and find time to warm up before bidding for a place in the semi-finals.

According to Omanyala, Athletics Kenya executive member Barnabas Korir is holding talks with World Athletics about the possibility of staging a solo heat if the sprinter does not arrive on time.

“It’s just about getting to Oregon and getting to that start line,” Omanyala said.

“I hope I get there and compete with other competitors.

“The moment I get there, everything will be forgotten. My body has to run, it doesn’t matter how tired it is. Challenges are laid in life but you have to face them head on.”

Omanyala is the third-quickest man in the world this season behind Americans Fred Kerley and Trayvon Bromell, and set the African 100m record of 9.77 seconds in September last year.