Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala has dared iconic Kenyan middle and long-distance runner Faith Kipyegon to a 400m race and both remained adamant of getting the better of the other.
Kipyegon, who is undoubtedly the greatest 1500m runner of all time having won two Olympic medals, and four world championships as well as boasting the world record time, believes she can beat Omanyala, who has risen to prominence as one of the fastest sprinters of the current decade.
In a video on Ayako Oikawa’s X handle (formerly Twitter), Kipyegon and Omanyala shared a light moment on who would be faster in a 400m race event.
The 29-year-old insisted that she would have to ‘think twice’ if asked to race Omanyala, but thinks she ‘might’ beat him given the chance.
“I still have to think twice because I think I might, I might (beat Omanyala in a race),” Kipyegon said.
In response, Omanyala hilariously joked that even if he walked the last 20 meters, Kipyegon still could not beat him.
“Even if I walk the last 100 (meters), I walk 20, that’s 51 (seconds I would still take to complete the lap),” Omanyala teased before the two broke into into a momentary laugh.
In response, Kipyegon suggested that the 26-year-old was “not sure” he would still beat her.
“He is not sure, he is not sure,” Kipyegon responded, to which Omayala then replied. “400? 400? You are joking with life!”
However, Omanyala appeared to admit that Kipyegon can beat him in a 500m race.
“(Maybe) say 500. 500 (I can agree)!”
Both athletes are in Eugene, Oregon after the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic.
Omanyala marginally missed out on the Diamond Trophy victory on Saturday night, as he came home third, clocking an impressive 9.85, two hundredth of a second behind winner Christian Coleman of the United States.
Kipyegon continued to prove her indomitability by strolling to 1500m victory at the event.
She led from gun to tape and sprinted to the finish line to win in a Meeting record time of 3:50.72.
