• ATHLETICS

• Frank Rotich 8 hrs ago

Omanyala anchors Kenya to new 4x100m national record despite tough day in Botswana

Kenya’s sprint star Ferdinand Omanyala led from the front as the men’s 4x100m team set a new national record, but it was a difficult day overall for Team Kenya at the World Athletics Relays 2026 on Sunday.

The Kenyan quartet clocked an impressive 38.27 seconds in their heat, breaking the previous national record of 38.35 set last year in Guangzhou, China.

Despite the strong performance, the team finished third behind China and Ghana, missing out on automatic qualification for the World Championships.

The relay team started well, with Mark Odhiambo running the opening leg before handing over to Ronald Kiprono Koech. Meshack Babu kept Kenya in contention in the third leg, setting up Omanyala for the final sprint.

The African record holder pushed hard in the anchor leg and briefly challenged the leaders, but Kenya faded to third place at the finish.

While the new record was a major highlight, the rest of the day brought disappointment for Kenya. The men’s 4x400m team failed to qualify after a costly fall by Erastus Mbaluka in the third leg. The team eventually finished sixth in their heat with a time of 3:07.71.

The women’s 4x400m team also missed out on qualification, though they showed promise by finishing fourth in a season-best time of 3:32.24. The team featured Lanoline Aoko, Hellen Syombua, Margaret Naserian and Mourine Nanjala.

In the mixed 4x100m relay, Kenya placed sixth in their heat, posting a time of 41.84, falling short of the mark they had set a day earlier when they broke the national record.

The results mean Kenya secured no additional slots for the upcoming World Championships, adding to the disappointment after a promising start on Saturday.

Even so, the men’s 4x100m national record offers hope for the future, with Omanyala and his teammates showing that Kenya can compete strongly in sprint relays on the global stage.