Ferdinand Omanyala, the reigning African 100m champion, has arrived in Birmingham, where he hopes to put his Oregon ordeal behind him.
Omanyala arrived three hours before the first heat last Saturday morning and was immediately ferried to Hayward Field, where he finished third in his heat with a time of 10.10 seconds, advancing to the semifinals of the World Athletics Championship in Oregon.
Omanyala had to endure a five-hour flight to Doha, Qatar, a six-hour layover, a 14-hour flight to Seattle, a three-hour layover, and then a one-hour flight to Eugene because he didn’t get his US visa until Thursday morning of last week.
Omanyala asserted that he now has enough time to get ready for the Commonwealth Games, where he intends to compete for gold.
The arrival of two physiotherapists in the advance party, who will make sure the athletes are well-prepared for the games, has given the athletes a boost.
A number of athletes in Oregon complained of tired limbs, which hampered their performance.
Timothy Cheruiyot, the Commonwealth 1500m champion, is also expected tonight, along with Winnie Chebet and Emily Ngii.
Omanyala beat Simbine, the Commonwealth Games 100m champion, in a photo-finish in the final on June 9 at the Cote d’Or National Sports Complex.
