Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala recorded a new world lead of 9.78s to win the Botswana Continental Gold Tour meeting in Gaborone on Saturday.
However was disqualified due to a technicality on lane infringement.
Reports indicated that the African record holder stepped on the lane while attempting to catch a glimpse of his opponents.
This saw Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo elevated to the first position despite finishing second with 9.91 seconds.
On the other hand, United States athlete Kenny Bednarek moved to the second position with 10.02 seconds.
This was witnessed in Omanyala’s absence from the podium with an Athletics Kenya official intimating to the media that the athlete might have been disqualified.
Omanyala’s coach, Duncan Ayiemba, however, disputed the allegations and claimed that Omanyala did not appear at the podium as he was warming up for the 4×100 metre race.
Efforts by Kenyans.co.ke to reach Omanyala were futile because texts and calls went unanswered.
Omanyala, who clocked in at 9.78 seconds, missed the continental and national record by 0.01 seconds. Reports indicated that the athlete could have broken the record were it not for him peeping on his right to monitor Tebogo.
The athlete’s record surpassed the previous world lead of 9.91 which was held by Jones Terrence from the Bahamas. Prior to the event, Omanyala possessed a season’s best of 10,05 from his victory at South Africa Grand Prix on April 12, 2023.
The news came as World Athletics changed the rules regarding lane infringements – which came into effect on November 1, 2021.
This was after 21 athletes were disqualified at the 2018 World Athletic Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
Lane infringement refers to athletes, while running on the bend in a lane, stepping on the lane line on their left or running into the lane on their inside. This, according to World Athletics, leads to disqualification for shortening the distance of the race.
“Running into the lane on an athlete’s right (outer lane) should not be penalised unless there is interference with the athlete running in that lane,” the statement read in part.
