Simbine confident ahead of World Champs

September 11, 2025 45

SA 100m record holder, Akani Simbine, says his confidence is “sky high” as he looks to secure the first major individual 100m medal of his career at the World Championships in Tokyo this weekend.

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Simbine is set to compete in the 100m heats on the opening day of the event on Saturday, with the semifinals and final scheduled for Sunday.

“I’m feeling good and very confident going into this weekend,” Simbine told journalists during a video call hosted by World Athletics on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old had a strong start to the season, winning bronze in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships and clocking five consecutive sub-10-second victories over 100m. Although his form has dipped in recently, the veteran — who turns 32 on the final day of the championships next Sunday — insists he wasn’t fazed, attributing it to a disrupted training schedule.

“I had missed a very big important block [which] is what keeps me going throughout the year” he explained. “And that block we had to find a way to place it in and that was in the middle of the season.”

Despite the temporary setback, Simbine said he’s rediscovered his rhythm just in time.

“Now we’re finding speed again, training is going well, the times are going well, and it’s literally got me into a place where I feel really confident going into this weekend. And it’s not just confidence that is up in the air or smoke.

“We have the times to [justify] it.”