- Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala reveals reason behind reunion with longtime coach Duncan Ayiemba.
- Omanyala endured a frustrating 2025 that saw him fail to register any performances under 10 seconds in all the 22 races (100m) he competed in
- The two split in 2023 when Ayiemba was replaced by Geoffrey Kimani.
Kenya’s sprinting ace and Africa’s 100 metre record holder Ferdinand Omanyala has disclosed the reason behind his reunion with former longtime coach Duncan Ayiemba ahead of the 2026 season.
Omanyala endured a frustrating 2025 that saw him fail to register any performances under 10 seconds in all the 22 races (100m) he competed in.
At the time, Omanyala was working under Geoffrey Kimani who had replaced Ayiemba in late 2023.
Speaking to SportPesa Blog, the reigning Commonwealth champion revealed that the decision to reunite with Ayiemba, who had worked with him for 8 years before their separation, came from the fact that they had achieved remarkable success together.
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Omanyala reveals reason behind reunion with longtime coach
During their stint, Ayiemba steered Omanyala to becoming Africa’s fastest man and winning the 2022 Commonwealth gold medal, a historic feat that saw Omanyala become the first Kenyan man to win the crown.
“As a pro athlete, you have to look at the things you are gaining, the mistakes made, what is working and what is not working.
Based on all that, together with my management and everyone around me, we decided to go back to someone who we have been working with for 8 years.
The guy who made me win the Commonwealth Games and run the African record. So we went back to working with Dan for the next couple of years into 2028 LA Olympics,” he told SportPesa Blog.
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Omanyala has been training with Ayiemba since October and lauded the progress they are already making.
“Training is not easy in this camp. We are putting in hours and hours of work. It does not matter what you are doing. You may have the best nutritionist, best psychologist but if the work is not being done, there is nothing that will come out of it,” he said.
The Commonwealth defending champion is set to open his 2026 season at the Miramas World Athletics Indoor Tour (France) event on 30 January.
“The king of African sprint will be in Miramas in 2026! We are pleased to announce the presence of Ferdinand Omanyala, record holder of the Miramas meeting, for a new edition that promises to be incredible.
Africa’s fastest man returns to the stadium Miramas Metropole to defend his status. And why not drop a historic timeline?” read the post.
Omanyala clocked 6.51 seconds in 2024 to set a new record in the event and set a new Kenyan national record.