Watamu, here we come! Omanyala, family go on vacation after Kasarani heroics

King Kyree of USA (left), Ferdinand Omanyala (centre) and Trayvon Brommel of USA battle in the men's 100m final during the Kip Keino Classic. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s 100m record-holder, will take a week-long vacation on the shores of the Indian Ocean in Watamu with his family to relax after having a good season.

He wrapped up the season with an electric performance – a new African record that came with a Sh3.5 million car gifted to him by a betting company.

And, after promising to take care of his longtime girlfriend, Laventer Mutavi, who stood by him when he was financially down, Omanyala says he wants to “treat the love of my life”.

He’s going on the trip with Mutavi and their one-year-old son.

The sprinter is a Second-Year student at the University of Nairobi, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry course.

“I will be on a one-week vacation in Malindi, Kilifi County with my family,” the father of one told The Standard.

The sprinter is optimistic to break the 9.77s African record soon.

“It would take me less than a year to break that record, watch this space,” he said.

The 25-year-old said he’d have performed better in his record-breaking run at the Kasarani Stadium on September 18, but “struggled in my first 50 metres”.

He attributes his weak start to a left collarbone injury he suffered years back while playing rugby.

Stephen Mwaniki, a Kenyan sprint coach, predicts that the 100m world record set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt in 2009 will be shattered soon.

“I’m trusting Omanyala to break that record,” said Mwaniki.

“It will take a lot of work and strategy, but it’s possible to break it.”

Omanyala says breaking Bolt’s record “is achievable”.

Ferdinand Omanyala and family. [Courtesy]

Sprint coach Mwaniki says once Omanyala manages to coordinate his arm movement, he will be better placed to run a faster time.

The sprinter attributes his “imperfect” arm movement to the collarbone injury he sustained years back.

“Arms do what a propeller does in an aeroplane. When the swing is powerful, so is the take-off speed,” he said.

Legendary marathoner Eliud Kipchoge’s physiotherapist, Peter Nduhiu, said: “The body coordination of a partially or fully injured athlete is not the same as that of a normal athlete.

“This can however be managed through post-injury rehabilitation and conditioning training.”