Akani Simbine chasing top form in the absence of Wayde van Niekerk

With his fiercest domestic rival, Wayde van Niekerk, missing from the line-up, Akani Simbine is confident he can retain his crown as the fastest man in the country at the SA Senior Track and Field Championships starting at Green Point Stadium on Thursday.

Van Niekerk withdrew on the eve of the national championships after picking up a hamstring niggle in training, scratching one of the most anticipated match-ups of the three-day event.

“I was excited to compete this week, but unfortunately things have not been going my way,” Van Niekerk said.

“But my spirits are still high and I’m going to keep putting in the hard work.”

Even in the absence of the 400m world record holder, however, Simbine will face a strong field for the national 100m title, with the Commonwealth Games champion entering the blocks against a packed line-up which includes in-form athlete Clarence Munyai, sub-10 runners Gift Leotlela and Henricho Bruintjies, and powerhouse junior sprinter Benjamin Richardson.

“My main goal here is to finish these championships healthy, so I’ll follow the plans I have with my coach (Werner Prinsloo) and trust those plans,” said Simbine, the SA 100m record holder, who has had a slower start than usual to his campaign.

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“It’s a long season and I’m doing things differently this year, but we need to make sure I’m still dominant here before I get to Europe and try dominate there.”

While the battle between Simbine and Van Niekerk fizzled out ahead of the domestic showpiece, some tight contests are still expected in other events, most notably in the women’s 5 000m race between middle-distance star Caster Semenya and long-distance ace Dom- Scott-Efurd.

Eager to qualify for this year’s World Championships, Semenya will have a chance to utilise the rare services of US-based athlete Scott-Efurd, who has already qualified for the global showpiece in Eugene later this year.

As one of the country’s most consistent athletes, if the pace is hot, Scott-Efurd could keep it honest throughout the race and drag Semenya to a fast time.

“There are a good amount of athletes in the mid-15 minute range, so if the other girls want to take it out fast, we can make it a fast race,” said Scott-Efurd.

“I already have the qualifying standard for the World Championships (15:10.00) and Caster doesn’t, but if she goes out hard from the gun, I’ll be ready.”

In other disciplines, national record holder Carina Horn continues her comeback after returning from a ban due to a doping violation, but she will have to beat 17-year-old prodigy Viwe Jingqi who has shattered long-standing SA age group records this year.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Wenda Nel will go in search of her 10th national title in what will be her final career as an elite athlete before she retires, but she will need to be at her best to hold off expected challenges from younger compatriots Zeney van der Walt and Taylon Bieldt.