Omanyala takes up new coach ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

Kenya’s sprinting sensation Ferdinand Omanyala will no longer be under the guidance of coach Duncan Ayiemba as he embarks on preparations for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August in France next year.

In a post on Tuesday, renowned Strength and Conditioning coach Geoffrey Kimani took to social media to announce that he will be taking over the role from Ayiemba who has been sharpening Omanyala since 2015.

“New Dawn. Back on track, and greatly honored in taking up the role of Sprints Coach to Ferdinand Omanyala through a busy 2024 season. We will be kicking off the season with the World Indoors in March 2024. Onto the hard work!” Kimani posted.

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The news of Kimani taking over as Omanyala’s new coach however came as a surprise to Ayiemba who revealed that he had only heard of the information from social media as Omanyala was yet to confirm anything concrete to him.

“We have not discussed the issue about his new coach till now. I have only just heard of it but nothing official yet from him,” Ayiemba told SportPesa News.

“I have been with Omanyala for eight years now and it would be ideal if it was him communicating (to me) and not someone else on social media,” he stated in another interview on Nation.

“I wish him all the best because I know he is a good and hard-working athlete. We had the best season this year where he clocked twelve sub-10 second times, including 9.85s in Nairobi,” added Ayiemba.

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In the same interview, Omanyala acknowledged that he was yet to communicate the change to Ayiemba while revealing that the reasons for parting of ways was personal.

“I was waiting for my official kit sponsor (Adidas) to remit some of my bonuses before I could tell him but the unexpected happened. The reasons for separating are personal but I will soon meet him for talks,” Omanyala said.

Ayiemba steered Omanyala to breaking the African 100m record when he clocked 9.77s at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic in Kasarani to smash Akani Simbine’s previous time of 9.85s in what was one of the standout moments for the pair.

Omanyala also went on to clinch the African 100m crown, win a Diamond League meeting (Monaco 2023) as well as become the first Kenyan to reach the semifinals of an Olympic event (Tokyo 2020).

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Additionally, the 27-year-old became the first Kenyan to reach the Diamond League Finals where he finished in third place in the 2023 event.

Omanyala’s change of coach follows suit after USA sprinter Fred Kerley and reigning Olympic champions Marcell Jacobs made similar changes.

Kerley will now be coached by 1992 Olympic 400m champion Quincy Watts who replaced Alleyne Francique while Jacobs took Rana Reider who replaced Paolo Camossi.

Apart from working for Kenya Sevens, Kimani has also had stints at Uganda Sevens and Kenya Harlequins teams. In football he has played the role at Tusker FC and Mathare United football clubs.