Akani Simbine (RSA) in the 100m Men during the 2017 IAAF Diamond League, Lausanne on July 06, 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Photo by Robert Hradil/Gallo Images)
IAAF Diamond League: Simbine heads strong SA contingent in London
Akani Simbine is one of six South Africans who will be on show in the IAAF Diamond League meet in London.
Akani Simbine (RSA) in the 100m Men during the 2017 IAAF Diamond League, Lausanne on July 06, 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Photo by Robert Hradil/Gallo Images)
South African sprint ace Akani Simbine will be one of the favourites at the 10th leg of the IAAF Diamond League series in London, England, this weekend.
Simbine will be joined by another five South African athletes at the meeting – long jumpers Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai, distance runner Dominique Scott-Efurd and hurdlers Antonio Alkana and Wenda Nel.
On Saturday, Simbine will need to negotiate his way through the heats for a place in the 100m final, but the SA record-holder will be one of the men to beat.
Having run the fastest time in the field this year, boasting a season’s best (SB) of 9.95 seconds, he is expected to face challenges from former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica and European champion Zarnel Hughes of Great Britain.
Also on Saturday’s programme are long jumpers Manyonga and Samaai.
Manyonga, who has leapt 8.35m this year, and Samaai, who has posted a SB of 8.21m, are among five men in the field who have sailed beyond 8.20m in 2019.
On Sunday, Scott-Efurd will toe the line against a strong field in the women’s 5000m race, which features in-form European champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and world champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya.
In the women’s 400m hurdles race, Nel will be eager to find her best form, with the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist entering the blocks against American athlete Kori Carter and Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic, who have won the last three world titles between them.
SA national record-holder Alkana will also look to change gears in the second half of the season.
In the 110m hurdles, he will face a line-up which features European champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France and Olympic gold medallist Omar McLeod of Jamaica, who have both run under 13secs in their careers.
SA athletes in IAAF Diamond League, London 2009
Saturday
14:15 – long jump, men (Luvo Manyonga, Ruswahl Samaai)
15:45- 100m heats, men (Akani Simbine)
16:50 – 100m final, men (Simbine)*
Sunday
15:56 – 5000m, women (Dominique Scott-Efurd)
16:29 – 400m hurdles, women (Wenda Nel)
16:39 – 110m hurdles, men (Antonio Alkana)
* Simbine will compete in the final if he progresses beyond the heats
African News Agency (ANA): Editing by Herman Gibbs
