As the 2024 track and field season is currently underway due to the Paris Olympics, the track world looks forward to the competition that North American and European athletes bring to the table. However, the odds have flipped this year, as the community anticipates a high level of track action from African competitors due to their times in various classifications.
Ferdinand Omanyala, the Kenyan sprinter briefly held the 2023 world-leading time in the 100-meter category before Kishane Thompson dethroned him. Seeking to overcome seasonal challenges and enhance his performance, Omanyala switched coaches, leaving Duncan Ayiemba to work with Geoffrey Kimani.
Kimani is a former National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Strength and Conditioning Lead Consultant for Team Kenya, having attended the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The coach’s resume does not end there; he has also worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the Uganda Sevens and a speed coach for the Mathare Youth Sports Association’s Mathare United Soccer Team. Kimani has also been involved with other young coaches who have been nurtured by him through numerous workshops across the country.
He has always been a visionary, and under his leadership, Team Kenya competed at the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games and the 2022 Youth Olympics in Dakar. He understands the burden that such major events put on athletes, and dealing with Africa’s fastest man is no simple assignment.
A New Approach Towards Reshaping Ferdinand Omanyala’s Form
Omanyala’s 2023 season was not up to par, and with the Olympics approaching, he had to make a change, which has resulted in several positives, including his shedding 4 kg (8.8 lbs). There is also a reason for this; as reported by Pulse Sports Kenya, the coach observed that he was feeling heavy throughout his running practices.
Both the coach and the athlete are completely focused on preparing for the Olympics in Paris, and Kimani believes that acceleration is critical in sprinting. They are looking at all of the things that can be improved for an athlete of Omanyala’s caliber, and although there are many hurdles ahead of him, they are trustful of themselves, as seen by the athlete’s 2024 season performance.
Delivering What He Promised Before
Following a successful indoor season, the athlete began his outdoor season in the 100 meters at the Kip Keino Classic, but it was hardly the start that anyone of Omanyala’s caliber expected, as he finished sixth with a 10.03.
However, since that one disappointing effort, the two-time African champion has not dropped a single spot off the podium, finishing second at the Prefontaine Classic and third at the Racers Grand Prix.
But at the Kenyan Olympic Trials, he astonished the entire track community by running a 9.79 to take the world lead. It was one of the quickest performances in his career, and he is optimistic about the Paris Olympics, where he will compete against Jamaican and American opponents.
