Ferdinand Omanyala Withdraws from 2025 Diamond League Finals

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, has withdrawn from the 2025 Diamond League Finals, which were set to take place starting tomorrow in Zurich, Switzerland.
In a statement on Monday, August 25, Omanyala announced his withdrawal was due to an injury, a fresh blow to his individual season and Kenya’s hopes of representation in the 100m at the event.
“Due to recent hip, iliopsoas, and gluteal pain experienced over the past few weeks, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to participate in the Diamond League Finals 2025,” Omanyala announced.
While expressing regret over the decision, Omanyala maintained that he was on the road to recovery and hoped to have regained his fitness by the time the World Athletics Championships kick off in Tokyo, Japan, starting September 13.
The sprinter’s 2025 season has been a combination of highs and frustrations. He opened the year with a third-place finish at the ASA Grand Prix I in Pretoria before bouncing back with a win in the second leg in Johannesburg with a time of 10.08 seconds.
In March, he had arguably one of his best performances of the year with a 10.09-second sprint during Uganda’s National Trials.
His Diamond League campaign has been far from consistent, with a second-place finish in Xiamen, China and Rabat, Morocco, before falling short in Shanghai, finishing last in a race which raised questions about his form, particularly during mid-season.
Omanyala’s most recent major outing was at the Kip Keino Classic, where he clocked 10.07 seconds to place third behind Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy and South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza.
It was after the Kip Keino Classic that Omanyala admitted ongoing struggles with his transition phase, which is one of the most critical parts of the 100m sprint.
As far as his injury is concerned, sprinters who sustain hip, iliopsoas, and gluteal muscle pain at the elite level can recover fairly quickly, depending on the severity. A mild strain can take one to three weeks to heal, while medical estimates indicate that moderate strains (grade 2) might require up to six weeks.
Omanyala, whose power and speed heavily depend on full hip mobility and gluteal strength, may have withdrawn from the Diamond League finals as a precautionary measure, especially with the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo less than three weeks away.
Besides Omanyala, several other Kenyan athletes will represent the country in Tokyo across different disciplines.1500 m Faith Kipyegonis set to take part in two races, the 1500m and 5000m, where she will compete against her Kenyan counterpart and World record holder Beatrice Chebet.