Werner Prinsloo looks back on Akani Simbine's 2024

Although Simbine did not secure an individual track medal in 2024, Prinsloo is pleased with their achievements, which included a maiden Olympic silver medal, as well as participation in Diamond League events, and domestic competitions. 

Notably, the 31-year-old sprinter played a key role in Team SA’s 4x100m relay performance and set a new national 100m record of 9.82 seconds, finishing an impressive fourth in the Olympic final in Paris.

"It's been a good year, in terms of results, yes. We always knew, we were pushing for Paris, and the one thing that stood out for me was also the 9.82 second he ran there, which, to me, is an achievement in itself," said Prinsloo.

"He placed fourth, yes, but it was just one of those races – one for the ages. We knew were pushing for that low 9.80's the whole year, and we thought if we go back in history – last year or even the year before, the 9.82 would have been at least silver or gold.

"Obviously we didn't know it was going to be one of those races, so I'm very proud of him for what he did this year, and now we just look forward to Tokyo next year."

Prinsloo has set his sights on the 2025 World Athletics Championships, which will take place in Tokyo, Japan, in September next year, aiming for a significant first international medal at the event.

"Training is well on the way, we're getting ready for next year. We know the Tokyo World Champs is a bit later, but it actually works our for us because World Athletics actually made the World Champs to be the very last event of the year," he added.

"So you can actually work towards that for the whole year, and you know that's the pinnacle event of the year, which has always worked out for us because we always plan to peak and be at his best when those Championships come, which is at the end of the season."

READ: Simbine wins big at the Central Gauteng Athletics awards