SA sprinter Akani Simbine says he will be a new and improved athlete this year, ahead of his first meeting in the third round of the Athletics SA Grand Prix that will be held in Potchefstroom on April 6.
The athlete from Kempton Park is hoping to build on a successful 2021. Last year, he was able to dominate the local scene, post wins on the international circuit and just missed out on a podium finish in the 100m final at the Tokyo Olympics.
At 28, Simbine is entering his prime years mentally and physically in his career as a sprinter and he can feel the transition to being a better athlete. The 2022 calendar is stacked with a lot of events and the sprinter who works under coach Werner Prinsloo is ready for what the season has to offer.
“The preparations for this season are going really well. We're taking it slowly. This year we're doing it differently,” said Simbine.
“We have improved. Coach switched things up a little bit and tried different things. I'm pretty excited about the season and racing. I'm going to be racing very soon at the Grand Prix in Potch. From there on it's just racing and racing.
“I'm really looking forward to the season. I'm coming as a different athlete this year. I'm excited to see the picture that comes out.”
Simbine explained what changes the new version of himself has had to make.
“It's a mental thing. The mental part is an important part. It's a big part of what we do, it's like 80% of what we do. Getting that right is very important.
“The way we are training now is different. Coach is looking for different ways to train. We have a better group now. Before it was just me and the coach, pushing against time. Now it's me pushing against quality athletes that can run as fast as I am, and time,” he said.
The prolific sprinter still believes he has plenty of time on the track and has ruled out any chances of an early retirement.
“I still have seven or eight years left in the game, still a while till I retire. I have started to put plans in place. The perfect example will be BackSports, being the CEO of the company,” Simbine said.
“We're trying to get athletes in a system where we can support them. At BackSports we go by the thing of [for] athletes by athletes. We employ athletes that can't get a job or go to school. We teach them media production skills. We also have a coaching department.”
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