Akani Simbine sets sights on maiden indoor campaign

Akani Simbine hopes a fresh approach will help him break new ground this season, as he prepares for his first indoor campaign.

The 31-year-old sprinter enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last year, setting a national record of 9.82 seconds to finish fourth in the 100m final and anchoring the SA 4x100m relay team to the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.

This year, however, Simbine confirmed he would compete over the 60m distance on the international indoor circuit before embarking on his outdoor campaign, and he was set to turn out at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March.

“It’s a new season and a new training regime we’re in right now, so everything is new, but it’s really exciting because I’ve been in one pattern for 10 years, and to kind of switch it up now actually feels fresh for me,” Simbine said after receiving two accolades at the annual Athletics South Africa Awards in Fourways on Saturday night.

“I’ve never thought of doing indoors. It’s a different type of race and a different type of running, and I’m not a fan of the cold but now I’m going to run in the (Northern Hemisphere) winter. So it’s a different mental space that I’m putting myself in – a different challenge.”

Chasing sub-9.80 over 100m

Simbine hoped competing indoors would help him go quicker later in the year on the outdoor circuit, with his sights set on running under 9.80 over the 100m distance.

“It’s more about just trying to get that 0.03 that I need just to make sure I’m improving,” Simbine said.

“Every year we look for improvements and this is where we’re going to get it.”

Simbine received the Male Athlete of the Year and Track Athlete of the Year gongs at the ASA Awards.

Olympic javelin throw silver medallist Jo-Ane van Dyk also received two accolades – Female Athlete of the Year and Female Field Athlete of the Year.

Other winners included 800m runner Prudence Sekgodiso (Personality of the Year), 400m hurdler Rogail Joseph (Female Track Athlete of the Year), discus thrower Victor Hogan (Male Field Athlete of the Year), and road runners Elroy Gelant (Outside Stadium Male Athlete of the Year) and Glenrose Xaba (Outside Stadium Female Athlete of the Year).