Ferdinand Omanyala’s victory in men’s 100 metres at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on Saturday in Gaborone has elicited confusion.
Apparently, information coming from Gaborone indicated that Omanyala’s world lead victory of 9.78 seconds had been quashed after a lane infringement.
It was also not clear whether Omanyala’s victory was a world lead or not after the victory was posted when the winds were cruising at +2.3 metres while the legal wind speed should be +2.0 in 100m and 200m.
In World Athletics competition rules, sprint and jump performances for which the measured wind speed exceeds +2.0 m/s are deemed illegal and cannot be ratified for record purposes.
World Athletics had indicated that Omanyala had stormed to a huge 100m world lead at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on its official Facebook page.
“On another level. Ferdinand Omanyala stormed to a huge 100m world lead of 7.78 at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix,” said World Athletics.
However, World Athletics would later alter the Facebook post to read: “On another level. Ferdinand Omanyala storms to a windy 9.78 100m at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix.”
Omanyala stepped on the lane on his right while trying to glance at home athlete Letsile Tebogo, who finished second in 9.91.
Omanyala, who is also Commonwealth Games champion, took off the blocks swiftly, leading all the way to win, missing his own Africa and national record by 0.01 seconds.
Technical Rule 17.3.1 (163.3(a)) on lane infringement reads:
“This rule applies to athletes running on the bend in a laned race. If an athlete steps on the lane line on their left or runs into the lane on their inside they will be disqualified for shortening the distance of the race. If an athlete runs into the inside lane or touches the lane line in the straight, no report will be made unless they obstruct another athlete as they have not affected the distance to be covered in 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.”
Omanyala’s absence from the podium where winners were being awarded raised eyebrows with an Athletics Kenya official who was attending the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour event, saying in a telephone conservation that Omanyala might have been disqualified for lane infringement.
Botswana Golden Grand Prix Media Officer Calistus Kolantsho said that the lane infringement was not picked up by the timers or reported to the timers.
“So at the moment, the win stands unless something develops at a later stage,” said Kolantsho.
