© Copyright – 2023 – Athletics Illustrated
Most of the sprinters listed below have one thing in common, loads of talent but recently underperformed according to their own standards.
Canada’s Andre De Grasse, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, and American Fred Kerley change coaches ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, France. Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith made a switch too, as has rising Jamaican star Alana Reid.
The big switch
UK Athletics SACK Stephen Maguire as technical director after showdown talks over governing body's perilous finances – as Dina Asher-Smith blasts decision to let 'phenomenal' coach go ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics https://t.co/8UaDjNI2qq pic.twitter.com/dttCReopnT
— Esteban Novo (@estebannovo) October 17, 2023
Omanyala was initially working with coach Duncan Ayiemba. He recently started to work with coach Geoffrey Kimani as he gears up for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Omanyala, Kenya’s fastest sprinter finished only seventh during the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships this summer. That was not good enough, so he has switched to Kimani in hopes that he can be competitive in the Olympic final, next summer. It has been two years since he set the African and Kenyan 100m record in Moi Stadium in Nairobi clocking a 9.77 finish. In Budapest, he finished in 10.07 during the final.
Fred Kerley wants to regain the form he showed during the Tokyo Olympic Games where he earned a silver medal in the 100m clocking 9.84. The 28-year-old followed up that performance with a gold medal during the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championship in 9.86. In Budapest, he helped the 4 x 100m relay team win gold, but individually, he was not in the mix. Kerley recently announced that he will now work with Quincy Watts, the current Director of Track and Field at the University of Southern California.
De Grasse and Jacobs will move to Rana Reider. According to the Italian track and field federation Jacobs will move from Italy to Florida to work under Reider in Jacksonville. Trayvon Bromell is in the camp, de Grasse is returning to Reider, who helped him medal in the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games. Both athletes are 28-years-old.
Just ten months before the Paris Olympics open, Canadian sprint star Andre De Grasse is changing coaches, returning to the man who helped him win gold in Tokyo in 2021.
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) October 24, 2023
De Grasse returns to Rana Reider.
My @cbcsports story: https://t.co/XZWxmennb4
Jacobs worked with Italian Paolo Camossi. Camossi was instrumental in guiding the 28-year-old American-Italian sprinter to win gold at the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympics.
Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith has left her 19-year-long relationship with John Blackie (since she was eight years old). The 27-year-old took bronze in the 100 metre at the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympic Games. She has now moved to work with Edrick Floreal, and will relocate to train in Austin, Texas.
Reigning world under-20 200-metre bronze medallist Alana Reid will become a training partner of 100m world champion, American Sha’Carri Richardson under the guidance of Dennis Mitchell at the Florida-based Star Athletics Track Club.
Stephen Macquire
Meanwhile, UK Athletics shocked Stephen Macquire by axing him. Maguire was abruptly sacked as UK Athletics technical director on Tuesday after a row about budgets for the Paris Olympics. While the cash-strapped organization provided no details about who initiated his shock departure.
The decision, which falls just nine months out from the Olympics was later criticized as ‘incredibly short-sighted’ by Dina Asher-Smith. Apparently, the issue came to head in a meeting between Maguire and UKA CEO Jack Buckner.
The call to remove Maguire was made two months after he guided Great Britain to a record-equalling 10 medals at the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Uk Athletics seems to be in a state of disarray.
