Simbine hopes to become fastest man in Doha
DOHA: South African sprinter Akani Simbine will hope to become the fastest man at next month’s International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships here.
The 25-year-old has had a stellar year in preparation for his fourth worlds, winning 100m gold at last year’s Commonwealth Games and triumphing at London’s Diamond League in July.
Simbine, whose Diamond League winning time of 9.93 is tied-fifth best in the world this year, is confident he can win the final on September 28.
“I believe I can be the best and if I’m in the sport then I can’t just say ‘Oh well, Christian is running fast, Noah is running fast, Gatlin is running fast, I can’t beat them’ – then I’m in the sport for the wrong reasons,” said Simbine.
But the South African said he will miss compatriot and friend Caster Semenya, who will miss the competition in the Qatari capital.
The Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT) last month reversed a ruling that temporarily lifted the IAAF’s testosterone regulations imposed on Semenya, effectively ruling her out of the September 28-October 6 championships here.
The 28-year-old double 800m Olympic gold medallist is fighting an IAAF regulation that female middle-distance runners with a high natural level of testosterone must take medication to reduce it.(Pic: Akani Simbine/Twitter)
