- After Helene's destruction, North Carolina starts to rebuild
- Dockers end three-day strike at Montreal port
- What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?
- Israel-Hamas war causes 86-percent dive in Gaza GDP: IMF
- Milan's Morata moves house after Inter-fan town mayor 'violates' privacy
- 'Devastating' storm hits Augusta National but Masters will go on
- Relief in Brazil, Asia over delay to EU deforestation rules
- Oil prices jump, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Biden says 'discussing' possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
- Oil prices rise, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Oil rallies, stocks mostly retreat on Middle East tensions
- Phasing out teen smoking could save 1.2 mn lives: study
- 'Welcome relief': Asia producers hail EU deforestation law delay
- Japan PM slated to announce plans for 'happiness index'
- Turkish inflation falls less than expected in September at 49.4%
- Easing inflation lifts profit at UK supermarket Tesco
- Skiing calls on UN climate science to combat melting future
- China wine industry looks to breed climate resilience
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong drops after surge
- Dutch airline KLM unveils 'firm' cost-cutting measures
- Carpe diem: the Costa Rican women turning fish into fashion
- Senegal looks to aquaculture as fish stocks dwindle
- Will AI one day win a Nobel Prize?
- Climate change, economics muddy West's drive to curb Chinese EVs
- Argentina's Milei vetoes university budget after huge protests
- TotalEnergies plans to grow oil and gas production until 2030
- 2024 Nobels offer glimmer of hope as global crises mount
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong reverses after surge
- Tunisia readies for vote as incumbent Saied eyes victory
- High childcare costs in US weigh on women's employment
- US voters seek help with crushing childcare costs
- Taiwan shuts down for second day as Typhoon Krathon to land
- Supercharged storms: how climate change amplifies cyclones
- Biden official urges talks as US port strike enters second day
- Huge protests in Argentina over public university cuts
- Rally in oil prices loses steam on mixed day for global stocks
- South America treated to rare 'ring of fire' eclipse
- Biden official says port strike deal not as far as parties think
- Mexico's new president offers apology for 1968 student massacre
- Historic funding round values OpenAI at $157 billion
- Mixed US car sales in Q3 as industry hopes for post-election bounce
- Thunderstorms are a 'boiling pot' of gamma rays, scientists find
- Scientists unlock secret of 'Girl With Pearl Earring'
- Dolphins flash friendly grins when they're ready to play
- Facing backlash, EU moves to delay deforestation rules
- US private sector adds more jobs than expected in September: ADP
- Boys out of critical condition after Zurich stabbings
- Spain logs record summer tourism as inflow draws protests
- Hedi Slimane quits as Celine's artistic director
- Oil prices extend rally on Iran attack
RBGPF | -1.35% | 59.99 | $ | |
BCC | -0.9% | 138.29 | $ | |
RYCEF | 1.15% | 6.98 | $ | |
SCS | -1.98% | 12.62 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.16% | 24.74 | $ | |
VOD | -0.52% | 9.69 | $ | |
GSK | -2.81% | 38.37 | $ | |
BTI | -2.45% | 35.11 | $ | |
RIO | -1.42% | 69.83 | $ | |
NGG | -2.7% | 66.97 | $ | |
JRI | -0.6% | 13.3 | $ | |
RELX | -1.46% | 46.61 | $ | |
BCE | -1.77% | 33.84 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.16% | 24.89 | $ | |
BP | 0.28% | 32.46 | $ | |
AZN | -2.12% | 77.93 | $ |
Omanyala gets last minute visa reprieve for Worlds
Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala on Thursday said he would compete in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon after being granted a last-minute visa to travel to the United States.
Omanyala -- the third-quickest man in the world this season -- will have just a few hours rest after his flight before the 100 metre heats start Friday in Eugene, Oregon.
But the 26-year-old Kenyan sprinter said he would be on the next plane and was "positive" of competing at the fixture after securing permission to travel.
"Visa challenges are faced by all Kenyans and people daily, in this case I was no different," Omanyala said in a statement posted on his Twitter account headlined "Oregon Here I Come".
He had earlier given up hope of competing after failing to receive a visa, saying there wasn't enough time to fly to Oregon -- a journey of 24 hours or more -- before the race.
But he will make the trip and arrive on Friday morning after being presented with his visa at the sports ministry, Omanyala's coach Duncan Ayiemba told AFP.
"He will have a few hours to rest before he competes in the 100m heats, and hopefully qualify for the semi-finals and the finals," he said.
The Kenyan team had been due to leave for the United States in two batches on Monday and Tuesday, but several members including Omanyala did not receive visas.
There was no immediate comment from Athletics Kenya, and the reasons for the visa hitch are not known.
Reports have emerged of athletes from other countries facing issues obtaining US visas, although Omanyala is the highest-profile.
Championship organisers Oregon22 and World Athletics had said on Wednesday that they were working to follow up on visa applications "the majority of which have been successfully resolved".
"We continue to follow up with those outstanding visa issues," they said in a statement, noting that international travel had become more challenging due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Omanyala is the third-quickest man in the world this season behind Americans Fred Kerley and Trayvon Bromell, setting a time of 9.85 seconds in May.
In September last year, he set a new African record of 9.77sec, making him the ninth-fastest man ever, behind four Americans and three Jamaicans.
He told AFP in a recent interview he had set his sights on at least reaching the final of the 100m in Oregon, targeting a time of 9.6sec.
If he had made the podium there, it would have been an historic first for an African runner.
Namibia's Frankie Fredericks twice won Olympic silver in the 100m in the 1990s, but his one gold and three silvers in the World Championships were all over 200m.
- 'Want to leave a legacy' -
The young athlete and his coach have been mapping out ways to make sprinting more popular in Kenya, the East African country where the long-distance runner is king.
Omanyala became the first Kenyan sprinter to reach an Olympic semi-final at the Tokyo Games last year.
He was able to represent Kenya in Tokyo after Athletics Kenya relaxed a decision to prohibit any banned athletes from taking part in international competitions.
He had been suspended for 14 months in 2017 by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya after testing positive for a banned substance.
"It was a hard 14 months but life has to move on," Omanyala said in the AFP interview.
Hailing from western Kenya, Omanyala said he hoped to be a role model for other aspiring sprinters both at home and across Africa.
"I believe I opened the way for so many people coming behind me," he said. "One of the things that I wanted to do is to leave a legacy. I want to leave an industry of sprint in Kenya."
Omanyala is also competing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later this month, he said in a statement Thursday.
"Looking forward to making all Kenyans proud," he said.
aik-txw-ho-np/pi
A.Levy--CPN