By: Zoe Hu

Ferdinand Omaanyala, who is Africa’s fastest man, had been afraid that he wouldn’t make it in time to participate in the World Athletics Championships that were being hosted in Eugene, Oregon. The competition would be the most important event in his career after the Olympics.

Mr. Omaanyala is also the African record holder for the fastest sprinter of all time.

He originally decided to arrive in the United States on Monday so he would have five days to settle in and get used to the U. S before he participated in his first ever 100-meter race. But with less than a day left before he was to travel to the US, he had not yet received his visa, without which he would not be able to compete in the competition that would cement his legacy.

His Visa arrived exactly a day before the race. He arrived with only a few hours before the race and was expected to compete against runners who had arrived long before him.

Mr. Omanyala told The Washington Post that he had applied for a visa along with the rest of his team on July 7th. Most of his teammates received their visas the very next day, but oddly, his did not show up. He blamed the US Embassy in Nairobi for the delay of his visa.

“It’s really disappointing, and I hope they do better next time,” he said. “I know they are hosting the Olympics in 2028, so I really hope they learn from this and do much better next time.”

On Thursday morning, Mr. Omanyala said “I had already given up on coming here. I was supposed to run on Friday. God works miracles.”

His close call has aroused suspicions across Africa, where people trying to travel to the US often have difficulties. Other athletes across Africa have often also faced obstacles to getting a US visa in time, and Omanyala’s issues have gotten large amounts of attention all across Kenya where people wanting to travel to the U.S receive their visas even later than athletes do.

A sports official from Africa said that many Nigerian athletes have often had to drop out of competitions because their visas were delayed. He added that, despite people paying their Visa fees quite early, some African athletes were still given consular appointments for dates as late as and later than 2024.

Source: Ferdinand Omanyala visa delay_ Outcry after top Kenyan sprinter nearly misses championships – The Washington Post.pdf