Omanyala, who arrived at the Games boasting a brilliant season, was considered a guaranteed medal contender for Kenya. However, the African record holder left fans stunned after finishing a distant sixth in the second 100m semi-final with a time of 10.19 seconds.
Reflecting on his disappointing exit in the mixed zone, a visibly crestfallen Omanyala conceded that his body simply failed to deliver on the wet Scottish track.
‘The body refused to fire’
Omanyala is the African record holder and the tenth-fastest man of all time in the event after clocking a time of 9.77 seconds on September 18th, 2021 in Nairobi.
“Let's just say the body refused to fire, so there's nothing much I can do about it,” Omanyala admitted.
“I’m not a good person to run in the rain. It just happened, so we have to process that. You just need to go back and let it sink in.”
Despite the setback, Omanyala took solace in the continent’s rising dominance in sprinting, acknowledging the stiff competition coming from fellow African athletes.
“I am happy with the growth of sprinting in Africa. It's a good thing, building the next generation. We started it, and I'm happy that it's coming up,” offered Omanyala.
“This season was a season of restoration. Commonwealth was one of the goals we were chasing, but we've missed it. Today didn’t go well - I’m not a good person to run under the rain, so that really affected me.”
Omanyala’s exit capped off a grim evening for Kenya's sprint delegation. Minutes earlier in the first 100m semi-final, Meshack Babu finished last in a time of 10.39 seconds.
That heat was dominated by Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, who stormed to victory in a national record time of 9.89 seconds before going on to claim gold.
Heartbreak for Kenya in 10,000m final
Kenya’s woes extended to the long-distance events, where the nation failed to secure a single medal on the day.
In the men’s 10,000m final, 30-year-old Edwin Kurgat clocked a commendable season-best time of 27:50.98 but was forced to settle for an agonising fourth place.
As the bell rang for the final lap, Kurgat appeared poised to claim a silver medal. However, India’s Gulveer Singh and Isle of Man’s David Mullarkey spoiled the Kenyan celebration, surging past Kurgat with under 200 meters remaining in a thrilling sprint finish.
Australia’s Ky Robinson clinched gold in 27:48.93, while Singh captured silver (27:49.78) and Mullarkey secured bronze (27:50.28).
“The race was just ok, although we had a few unexpected setbacks, like we never expected that it would be this rainy,” Kurgat explained after the race.
“I was also stepped on and had to stop and wear my spikes, then struggled to get back into the race and catch up with the rest.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Ebenyo, who had dictated the pace at the front of the pack for much of the distance, ran out of steam in the final two laps. Ebenyo faded to a sixth-place finish, recording a season-best time of 27:56.35.
Elsewhere, two-time gold medalist and reigning men's Commonwealth 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal launched his title defence in commanding style, leading a trio of Kenyan middle-distance stars into the 800m semi-finals.
Kinyamal set the tone early in Heat 1, dictating the tempo and taking victory in a time of 1:46.79. Chasing an unprecedented third consecutive Commonwealth crown after triumphs in Gold Coast (2018) and Birmingham (2022), the 29-year-old champion acknowledged the weight of expectations.
“I have a lot of pressure because you know, being a defending champion is not easy,” Kinyamal admitted after his heat.
“So, I am here struggling to defend my title. I pray to God to help me so that I can run well. If God helps me to win, it will be a big history for me.”
Kenya’s dominance in the two-lap event continued into Heat 2, where African champion Kelvin Kimtai Loti executed a tactical performance to win his heat in 1:47.22. Reflecting on his debut performance on the Glasgow track, Loti expressed his gratitude and focused mindset.
In Heat 4, Nicholas Kiplangat Kebenei secured his semi-final spot despite finishing fourth in a tight contest with a quick time of 1:45.99. Kebenei, who stayed calm despite a challenging draw, reflected on his strategy through the curve.
Kenya also celebrated success in the women’s 400m heats at Scotstoun Stadium. Mercy Chebet clocked 53.16 to finish fourth in Heat 3, securing her spot in the semi-finals and keeping her medal ambitions alive.
