Spring-heeled Simbine needs his jet shoes against top field in Paris

HOT on the heels of his first sub 10 second effort of the season, South Africa’s Akani Simbine will compete in another high-quality 100m event in Paris this weekend.

Commonwealth Games champion Simbine dipped below 10 seconds at last week’s IAAF World Challenge meeting in Madrid.

He clocked 9.98 seconds in his heat but had to be content with third place after cramping up coming out of the blocks in the final.

Simbine posted a time of 10.01, finishing behind China’s Su Bingtian, who posted a new national record of 9.91. Another South African, Henricho Bruintjies, finished fifth in 10.13.

Simbine will have his work cut out in the French capital as he will face American duo Mike Rodgers and Ronnie Baker, second and third fastest so far this year respectively. Rodgers clocked 9.89 seconds at the American national championships over the weekend, with Baker posting a time of 9.90 for second behind world lead Noah Lyles (9.88) in the final.

Bruintjies and fellow sub-10 second man Thando Roto will also be racing in Paris – they will feature in the B-race of the 100 metres.

Meanwhile three-time world champion Caster Semenya will line up in her favourite 800-metre event.

Semenya leads the Diamond race in the two-lap event just three points ahead of perennial challenger Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi.

Niyonsaba has come the closest to upsetting Semenya but the South African is approaching three years of going unbeaten in the 800m.

The women’s 800m race will see the 2017 IAAF World Championships medallists line up against each other, with Semenya and Niyonsaba being joined by bronze medallist Ajee Wilson of the United States.

The race will also include Olympic bronze medallist Margaret Wambui of Kenya and Dutch star and former world 1500m bronze medallist Sifan Hassan.

National 110m hurdles record holder Antonio Alkana will line up in a qualifying heat in his specialist event with an eye on a spot on the evening’s final.

Completing the South African contingent, Luxolo Adams is racing in the non-Diamond 200m event.