SA sprinter Akani Simbine talks about smashing records and finding inspiration
After making history this past weekend, SA sprinter Akani Simbine caught up with the Drive team to talk about his recent record, his Olympic dreams and his heroes.
Akani Simbine made athletics history in Pretoria on Saturday by becoming the first South African to run in under 10 seconds.
The 23-year-old managed to clock 9.93 in his 100m sprint, the fastest ever time in South Africa, and even went on to smash his own record for the 200m, coming in at a time of 19.95.
South African athletics certainly is in a good place as our top competitors continue to push the boundaries both abroad and at home.
Simbine already holds the South African record for the fastest 100m (9.89 seconds), which he set a few months before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
He backed that up with a fifth place finish in the 100m final – finishing just splits behind the likes of Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin, runners that inspired him before he broke onto the international scene.
Read: Usain Bolt's reaction to Wayde van Niekerk's world record says it all
His latest accomplishments on the track make me hopeful that he will follow in the footsteps of his friend Wayde van Niekerk, who broke the longstanding 400m world record at the Olympics.
The fact that we are only at the start of the Athletics season and Akani is running this fast bodes well for the rest of the year. Speaking to the man, he certainly seems quietly focused on a big year on the track.
It was also interesting to note that he is excited to be competing in both 100m and 200m races. The 23-year-old says training for both races has definitely improved his overall speed and stamina.
Like Van Niekerk and Caster Semenya, Simbine looks set to dominate in more than one event this year – watch this space.
Take a listen to Akani's full interview as shares more about his new record, and the heroes that inspire him:
Also read: AKA and Phat Joe talk about Bonang break up stunt
Watch Akani in action below: