The World Indoor Athletics Championships start this Friday 18 March. Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala will be looking to win a medal in the 60m. But the 26-year-old has Usain Bolt's 100m world record in his sights.
Ferdinand Omurwa Omanyala is said to be in the running for the World Indoor Track and Field Championships. The competition is scheduled for 18-20 March in Belgrade, Serbia. And the Kenyan sprinter will be on the starting line for the 60m. "The 60m, I consider it more or less as a training. It's a training run just to progress to the 100m and to improve the start," Omanyala told BBC Sport Africa.
But the 26-year-old has his sights set higher. His goal is to break Usain Bolt's 100m world record. The 60m race in Belgrade will serve as a stepping stone to dethrone the Jamaican legend. "I believe that nothing is impossible. The world record is not an exception. I believe that if there is anyone who can break this record, it is me," the Olympic semi-finalist boldly states.
"I can't wait to dive
Ferdinand Omanyala is the best African sprinter of the moment. He holds the continental record in the 100m with a time of 9.77 seconds. However, this time is still a long way from Usain Bolt's 9.58, set in 2009. The Kenyan signs and persists. He will break the world record in the 100m. "I'm looking forward to doing fast times and maybe going under 9.58. We started at 10.01 in March. So you can imagine in four months, with the competition, what will happen."
He adds. "You see the African record? When I started sprinting, people thought it would never be broken in this millennium or decade. But we did it last year. I just need a perfect race. I have very good acceleration and top speed, and now I am improving my start. Reducing that time won't be difficult."
While waiting to break the world record in the 100m, Ferdinand Omanyala will be looking for a medal in Belgrade. His reference time on the 60m line is 6.57s. "I was in France for the tour and I achieved what I wanted. I wanted to run a 6.57s and I did it. I can't wait to dive in."
In Belgrade, the Kenyan will go head-to-head with reigning Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy and reigning 60m world champion Christian Coleman of the USA.
