Akani Simbine bags seventh SA National Champs title in Potch

Simbine kept it under 10 seconds to cross the line in 9.98 in the heats, before 9.92 in the semi-finals to seal qualification to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest later this year. 

The standard qualifying time for the World Championships is 10:00, and Simbine ultimately secured the national title in a time of 10.14, ahead of 19-year-old Benjamin Richardson (10.27) and third-placed Rivaldo Roberts (10.36). 

"Feeling good, feeling healthy, feeling fast. I'm just in a good space and training's going really well. We've still got more to do with training, still have more to load in the body for training, and I'm just happy that this is where we're at right now," reacted Simbine after the final.

"It's my first competition of the year and this is where we're starting, so once we start loading the body more, doing the longer work, and everything, it should be a really great season, and I'm just looking forward to it."

African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, with a personal best of 9.77 seconds, was a spectator in the stands watching Simbine cruise to his seventh national title. Omanyala defeated Simbine three times in 2022 to win the African Senior Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Grand Prix Continental Tour titles, but Simbine told SABC Sport he was not bothered by the Kenyan’s presence.

"I think he wanted to see something, but my message and my running here was not for anyone but myself," he added.

"Our relationship, I just know Ferdinand from the track and he's been running well, I respect him as a sprinter, and it's just one thing when you step on the track, it's not last year, this is different, it's a different year. I'm back, but better, so it's going to be different.

"I'm looking forward to race, I'm looking forward to just going to Worlds, racing on the circuit and just bettering myself and my PB, and becoming a better sprinter."