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The tactician has weighed in on whether shifting training base to America would be a good thing for Kenyan sprinters such as Ferdinand Omanyala and Wiseman Were.
Kenyan sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki does not feel switching training base to America will yield success for Kenyan sprinters if their mindset is still the same.
There has been an influx of top sprinters to America with Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Italian Marcell Jacobs among the high-profile names who have ditched their countries in favour of the US, with varying results at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Kenyan sprinters, such as Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and Africa 400m bronze medalist Wiseman Were, have also been advised to consider moving stateside by but Mwaniki feels it is not a guarantee for success since training environments are just a small component of what brings good results.
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12:00 - 12.10.2024
Veteran athletics coach on why Kenyans should not be quick to bash athletes' performances
The Kenyan coach has urged Kenyans to avoid quick criticism of athletes' performances on the global stage as he highlighted that most criticisms lack full understanding.
“It is just psychological because Omanyala has been handled by Kenyan coaches Dan [Ayiemba] and [Geoffrey] Kimani and he was able to run the best times,” Mwaniki told Pulse Sports.
“We see middle and long-distance runners going to Iten and people think when you go there and get exposed to high altitude and train with the best in the world, you will be able to get it but it is not the case.
“This just matches with what we are told when we go for coaching courses. They say 25 per cent is physical and 75 per cent is in the mind, which is psychological. If we can get that kind of exposure, it is good for us.
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09:50 - 09.10.2024
Veteran sprints coach explains why Ferdinand Omanyala struggles at major championships
Veteran sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki has shed light on what could be affecting Ferdinand Omanyala’s performances when he gets to World Championships and Olympics.
“But, the philosophy and principles of training are the same. However, you need to go deeper into the mind of the athlete. That is why I feel Omanyala needs a psychologist who has worked with these big athletes and he can get it right because in these other areas he has done very well.”
Despite their move to America, Asher-Smith and Jacobs were still not able to light up the Olympics, the Briton exiting the 100m at the semi-final before a fourth-place finish in 200m, while the Italian failed to defend his 100m title after finishing fifth.
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