Ferdinand Omanyala reveals how changing coaches has allowed him to go back to school

Ferdinand Omanyala and his coach Geoffrey Kimani during training. Photo: Olympics KE

Ferdinand Omanyala reveals how changing coaches has allowed him to go back to school

Joel Omotto 07:00 - 03.07.2024

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala has credited his coach Geoffrey Kimani for helping him continue with his studies after struggling to balance books and athletics before.

Ferdinand Omanyala has explained how his new coach Geoffrey Kimani has enabled him to go back to school, having posed education to pursue his athletics career.

Omanyala is a Chemistry student at the University of Nairobi but had found it hard to continue with his studies under his previous regimes as the elaborate programme made it impossible to find time for school.

He, however, credits Kimani for helping him to balance his athletics and academics by designing a training regime that allows him to handle both.

“The first meeting we held he [Kimani] told me go back to school,” Omanyala told Olympics KE. “It has been easy, training with him has been intense but short. Previous regimes, it was a lot of hours in the field so it is hard to adjust to something different.”

“I have managed to go through school and getting to my fourth year in September after the Olympics. I am excited and hoping next year you will support me in my graduation.

“He [Kimani] has helped me, we now have so many hours getting to school, getting through the practicals. I have something else to think about, when I go off the track.”

Omanyala is shaping up well for the Olympics having changed a lot of things since he started working with Kimani at the end of last year.

Part of that is embracing a measured approach, featuring in fewer events and promising less in a bid to take the pressure off him.

Omanyala has only participated in two events out of the country in the 100m race, the Prefontaine Classic, when he notched his first sub-10 seconds of the season of 9.98 for second place as well as the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica when he managed 10.02.

That was after clocking 10.03 for fifth place at Kip Keino Classic in April but he showed that he is in good frame for the Olympics with a world leading time of 9.79 at the Athletics Kenya Olympics trials last month.

He currently has the world’s second fastest time after Jamaican Kishane Thompson ran 9.77 at the Olympics trials last week with his compatriot Oblique Seville having 9.82 and world champion and favourite Noah Lyles managing 9.83 at the US trials.

It is a good company to be in for Omanyala with the Olympics now just over three weeks away.