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South African sprinter Akani Simbine has voiced his concerns over the confusing nature of the new Olympic relays qualifying process.
South African sprinter Akani Simbine has voiced his frustration with the new Olympic relay qualifying method, describing it as difficult to understand.
Teams are currently in Bahamas to compete for Olympic qualifying tickets and Simbine and his teammates find themselves grappling with the complexities of the qualification process.
Currently, eight teams per event have already secured qualification for the Olympics, leaving another 40 teams vying for the remaining spots in Paris this August. However, a second qualification round is set to take place on Sunday, May 5th, offering 30 more teams the opportunity to secure their berths.
Among those competing for qualification are Kenya and South Africa, who are set to face off in heat 3 of the 4 by 100m men's relay in the second qualification round. However, the format of the qualification process remains confusing for many athletes, including Simbine, who expressed his concerns to the media.
"It is confusing. We do not understand a bit because you know, it is a big change at once, so, something we need to learn but it’s good. It is the qualifying round," Simbine stated on Saturday.
Despite South Africa's third-place finish in heat four, behind China and Japan, missing automatic qualification, Simbine remains optimistic. He emphasized the importance of finishing the race, which marks a significant achievement for the team.
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14:29 - 04.05.2024
Ferdinand Omanyala unveils highly revamped race schedule in the build up to Paris 2024 Olympics
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"We finished the race, which is the first time in a very long time, so I am very happy with that," Simbine remarked.
Looking ahead to the second qualification round, Simbine highlighted the need for improvement and emphasized the team's commitment to securing qualification.
"Just to clean up what we need to clean up and come out stronger. We need to make sure that we are winning," Simbine asserted.
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12:35 - 05.05.2024
World Relays: Noah Lyles raves after Team USA secure Olympic qualification in four of five events
US sprint king Noah Lyles has expressed his delight after powering the US 4x100m team to Olympics qualification with the Americans sealing tickets to Paris in four of out of five events.
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