Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala will be able to compete in the World Athletics Championships after being granted a last-minute visa to travel to the United States, his coach said Thursday.
The 26-year-old Kenyan sprinter is the third quickest man in the world this season and had given up hope of competing after failing to receive the travel visa necessary to reach the fixture in Eugene, Oregon.
Championship organisers Oregon22 and World Athletics on Wednesday said they were following up on visa issues for some athletes, adding the COVID-19 pandemic had made international travel more challenging.
Omanyala’s time of 9.85 seconds in May puts him behind only American duo Fred Kerley and Trayvon Bromell in times run this season.
In September last year, he set a new African record of 9.77sec, making him the ninth-fastest man ever.
He stated in a recent interview he had set his sights on at least reaching the final of the 100m in Oregon, targeting a time of 9.6sec
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