Simbine aims at podium spot

Akani Simbine hopes the consistency he has displayed this season will carry him to the podium at the IAAF World Championships this weekend.

Simbine (below), who finished fifth in the men’s 100m final at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, won the Commonwealth and African titles last year.

After clocking a season’s best of 9.93 to win the Diamond League contest in London in July, crossing the line just 0.04 shy his own national record, he is hoping for a breakthrough performance in the Qatari capital.

“I’m really happy with the way we handled the season because it has been a long one and we needed to make sure I was able to get to world champs healthy and ready to perform,” Simbine said yesterday.

The 26-year-old is set to turn out in the 100m heats today, along with compatriots Thando Dlodlo and Simon Magakwe, with all three athletes aiming for places in tomorrow’s semifinals.

The trio are also preparing to form the nucleus of the SA 4x100m relay squad next week, with the team possessing enough quality and depth to give them a real chance of stepping on the podium.

“I want to go through each round by staying as healthy and being as dominant as possible,” Simbine said.

“I want to make sure I get through to the final so I can compete as best I can for a medal, and in the relay I want to help the team so we can also compete for a medal.”

Title-holder Luvo Manyonga and African champion Ruswahl Samaai are also scheduled to open their campaigns on day one of the showpiece, lining up in the qualifying round of the men’s long jump this afternoon, while Lindsay Hanekom will compete in the first round of the men’s 400m hurdles event.