Akani Simbine Reveals Strategy For Early Season Imperious Form As Main Focus Shifts To The World Championships

Akani Simbine. Photo. Imago

Akani Simbine Reveals Strategy For Early Season Imperious Form As Main Focus Shifts To The World Championships

Evans Ousuru 04:24 - 09.05.2025

Akani Simbine explains why he looks unstoppable this season as he itches to be crowned Africa's finest sprinter.

The season may still be in its infancy, but Akani Simbine has triumphed in all three of his outings over 100m this year, including in the opening two Diamond League events in Xiamen and Keqiao.

It is a promising start to a year which includes the World Championships in Tokyo in September, but the South African is not buying into talk of being the man to beat over 100m at this stage.

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"I'm getting into my races, I'm winning my races and that's all that needs to be done," the former African record holder told the BBC.

"I'm running well for the beginning of the season. This is not like a peak. Once I get into June, I've been training well, and I can build up to August and September."

Simbine credits the buzz around his winning streak to a solid foundation from having a good campaign indoors.

Foremost among that was picking up a bronze medal in the 60m at the World Indoors in Nanjing and creating a slice of history for his country.

"We were using indoors more of training because there was a thing that we figured out I need to work on, that I can only work on when I am in a race," Simbine explained.

"Setting up myself for the indoors has put me in the position to run what I'm running now."

All of that means that Simbine is a man on form as he leads South Africa's charge in the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, this weekend.

Simbine is the senior most member of his country's 4x100m team at the competition, but is relishing his role as the older statesman.

"I think it helps because I come with the experience of being in the circuit. If I say 'Guys, just calm down', the guys would take my word for it.

"They respect what I say and look up to what I say. So I think it does have benefit."

Over 700 athletes will compete in the two-day event, with 74 of them from eight African countries.