This Wednesday, the final of the 100m at the Commonwealth Games will be run. The two African stars, Ferdinand Omanyala and Akani Simbine, are expected to challenge each other once again. Beyond this rivalry, the two men are highly regarded.
Ferdinand Omanyala and Akani Simbine are the two fastest male heads in Africa. In fact, they had a great race at the last African Championships, with the Kenyan finishing only 3 thousandths of a second ahead of the South African. One would have thought that this rivalry would make them hate each other, but no. On the contrary, the two riders appreciate each other. They are currently proving it at the Commonwealth Games.
While they are to face each other this Wednesday for the 100m final, Ferdinand Omanyala and Akani Simbine explained what they think of each other. "Simbine has shown us the way as an African. So I have a deep respect for him. It's good to be ahead of him and we have a great relationship - he's like a brother to me," Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala began, as reported by BBC Sport Africa. In their qualifying heats, Simbine ran 10.10 seconds. For his part, Omanyala, who is also an African record holder, finished in 10.07 seconds. Both will compete in their semi-finals on Wednesday and could face each other in the final on the same day.
Akani Simbine: "Omanyala is a good guy
Akani Simbine is the defending Commonwealth Games champion. He is aware that this final, where there will also be the Jamaican Yohan Blake, is likely to be disputed. He also explains his admiration for his rival Omanyala. "Omanyala is a good guy and I have a lot of respect for him (...). Anyone who crosses the line is a rival. Anyone can win, anyone can have the race of his life".
Simbine then spoke about the competition, which, in its entirety, was different from others. "The Commonwealth Games have a different style than other competitions. Here we really represent our countries, as well as ourselves and everything else".
