New sprint star Akani Simbine has called on Athletics SA (ASA) to try organise relay teams early enough so they can be ready to compete for medals next year.
The men’s 4x100m team — which Simbine described as deadly — was given insufficient time to prepare this year and as a result was unable to qualify for the Rio Olympics last month.
At full strength‚ the team would feature Simbine‚ fifth in the 100m final in Brazil‚ as well as 400m Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk‚ 200m world championship bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana and Henricho Bruintjies.
Simbine‚ Van Niekerk and Bruintjies have run sub-10-second 100m while Jobodwana owns the 19.87sec SA 200m record.
“That’s a deadly team‚ that’s a really fast team‚” Simbine said in Johannesburg at a function organised by one of his sponsors‚ Panasonic.
“We have so much potential. We have three guys who have run nine seconds‚ we have one guy who’s done 10.1. That is a medal.
“It’s just a matter of us coming together training‚ making sure we get the stick around and making sure we get time to [prepare] …
“I hope the federation and everybody sees they actually need to think about it starting from now‚ not next year because next year is already late.
“They must start planning for us now.”
ASA started approaching the relay athletes for the Olympics only in May‚ by which time their training schedules had long been decided.
Simbine dipped below 10 seconds on five occasions this year‚ highlighted by his 9.89sec SA record in July.
He went sub-10 twice at the Rio Games‚ where he became the first SA sprinter since 1932 to make the Olympic 100m.
Simbine finished off the season with two second places in the Diamond League.
“I really haven’t gone back to normal life‚ I’m literally still living in a bag‚” said the Information Science student at the University of Pretoria‚ who has been busy with sponsorship duties since returning home last week.
“It’s a blessing being able to run so fast and to get the acknowledgement … I feel like I’ve been here for a month‚ but I’ve only been here for a week.
“I think everybody saw that I ran fifth at the olympics‚ I ran sub-10 so many times. They see that potential going into Tokyo.”
Now he has to get himself back to class‚ where he faces a small test on Monday.
“I don’t know anything‚ I haven’t opened a book … this will be my first class this year‚ the first time I’ve been in a lecture hall this year.
“I’m trying to get into that school mindset. I tell myself on Monday I’ll be back … at the end of the day I need to get my degree.”
Next year he plans to race the 200m more often‚ and he is likely to face Van Niekerk in the two shorter sprints.
“I know for a fact that Wayde is a really great athlete and he’ll make sure that he brings his A game to the track.
“We know we’re going to race each other next year in the 100m and the 200m‚” he said‚ adding he was looking forward to the contests." - TMG Digital
Simbine appeals to ASA to begin plans for a strong relay team to take on the world's best next year
New sprint star Akani Simbine has called on Athletics SA (ASA) to try organise relay teams early enough so they can be ready to compete for medals next year.
The men’s 4x100m team — which Simbine described as deadly — was given insufficient time to prepare this year and as a result was unable to qualify for the Rio Olympics last month.
At full strength‚ the team would feature Simbine‚ fifth in the 100m final in Brazil‚ as well as 400m Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk‚ 200m world championship bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana and Henricho Bruintjies.
Simbine‚ Van Niekerk and Bruintjies have run sub-10-second 100m while Jobodwana owns the 19.87sec SA 200m record.
“That’s a deadly team‚ that’s a really fast team‚” Simbine said in Johannesburg at a function organised by one of his sponsors‚ Panasonic.
“We have so much potential. We have three guys who have run nine seconds‚ we have one guy who’s done 10.1. That is a medal.
“It’s just a matter of us coming together training‚ making sure we get the stick around and making sure we get time to [prepare] …
“I hope the federation and everybody sees they actually need to think about it starting from now‚ not next year because next year is already late.
“They must start planning for us now.”
ASA started approaching the relay athletes for the Olympics only in May‚ by which time their training schedules had long been decided.
Simbine dipped below 10 seconds on five occasions this year‚ highlighted by his 9.89sec SA record in July.
He went sub-10 twice at the Rio Games‚ where he became the first SA sprinter since 1932 to make the Olympic 100m.
Simbine finished off the season with two second places in the Diamond League.
“I really haven’t gone back to normal life‚ I’m literally still living in a bag‚” said the Information Science student at the University of Pretoria‚ who has been busy with sponsorship duties since returning home last week.
“It’s a blessing being able to run so fast and to get the acknowledgement … I feel like I’ve been here for a month‚ but I’ve only been here for a week.
“I think everybody saw that I ran fifth at the olympics‚ I ran sub-10 so many times. They see that potential going into Tokyo.”
Now he has to get himself back to class‚ where he faces a small test on Monday.
“I don’t know anything‚ I haven’t opened a book … this will be my first class this year‚ the first time I’ve been in a lecture hall this year.
“I’m trying to get into that school mindset. I tell myself on Monday I’ll be back … at the end of the day I need to get my degree.”
Next year he plans to race the 200m more often‚ and he is likely to face Van Niekerk in the two shorter sprints.
“I know for a fact that Wayde is a really great athlete and he’ll make sure that he brings his A game to the track.
“We know we’re going to race each other next year in the 100m and the 200m‚” he said‚ adding he was looking forward to the contests." - TMG Digital
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