JOHANNESBURG - Akani Simbine has always been the epitome of modesty, but establishing himself as one of the top sprinters in the world has instilled a swagger often seen in the world’s fastest men.
After he finished fifth in the Olympic 100m final, Simbine will up the ante this year hoping for top results in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the IAAF World Championships. Last year Simbine opened his season with a new national record in the 100m before ending the year with five sub-10 second times.
“The goal for the year is to do the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m and to push for the best result in all three events,” Simbine said.
The 23-year-old will take a second stab at the triple at the London World Championships
after getting knocked out in both the 100m and 200m semi-finals before the 4x100m relay team failed to finish in the heat, in Beijing two years ago.
Simbine could be going to his third world championships with a realistic chance of challenging for a medal in any of the two
individual events, while a strong relay team could also do the
business.
Since 2015 he has established himself as South Africa’s undisputed sub-10 second man, having dipped below the magical barrier seven times since he did it the first time in 2015 when he clocked 9.99sec in Velenje, Slovenia.
At the Rio Olympic Games he highlighted his class, dipping below 10 seconds in the semi-finals and final, while he finished last year with the fifth fastest time of the year - the national record of 9.89sec he posted before the global showpiece.
Although Simbine posted the fastest 200m qualifying time by a South African last year, he was bizarrely not considered for the half-lap sprint at the Games.
Boasting a personal best of 20.16sec, Simbine will be looking to make up for his exclusion from the Olympic 200m by dipping below 20 seconds this season.
“It is always exciting having new goals, and doing something different from the norm, I see myself also as a 200m athlete,” Simbine said
“Now I’m given the opportunity to do more 200s because I can chase the sub-20 which I know I am close to doing, so that is my goal.”
Despite a dearth of races and less focus on the 200m in 2016, Simbine managed to post a
personal best last year, highlighting his potential to go faster.
Simbine’s long-time coach, Werner Prinsloo, is optimistic his charge will be able to dip below 20 seconds with more race time.
“We need to put a bit more focus and effort into the 200m; last year he literally ran two 200s the whole season and he managed to bring it down to 20.16 seconds,” Prinsloo said.
“So, if we put more effort into it, we have in training, he needs more races to condition himself for the 200m.
“The sub-20 is still there, we know he can do it but it will take a few more races to get there and we obviously want to do the double at world champs.”
Given the host of sprinting talent that has come through over the last two years, earning a place for the world championships has become an increasingly difficult task.
In the 100m alone, Wayde van Niekerk, Simbine, and Henricho Bruinjtjies have run faster than 10 seconds with more prospects waiting in the wings.
South Africa currently have three athletes - Simbine, Wayde van Niekerk, Anaso Jobodwana - with the potential to feature in the 200m final at the world championships.
“It is exciting, the 100m and the 200m will be packed and I know I will have to bring my A-game and bring my best otherwise I will get beaten and no-one wants to get beaten,” Simbine said.