Akani Simbine tips Sinesipho Dambile to take over 4x100m second-leg duty

Akani Simbine had no hesitation when it came to suggesting the back-straight runner for the men’s 4x100m team that will do battle at World Relays in China this weekend — Sinesipho Dambile.

The 100m star believes the 200m national champion should be given the responsibility of running the second leg in place of Shaun Maswanganyi, a member of the outfit that took Olympic silver in Paris last year.

Simbine, one of the world’s all-time greatest anchor runners, Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana are the three survivors from the Games who will reunite in China.

Maswanganyi has not yet competed this season and Benjamin Richardson, who ran the second leg when South Africa qualified for the Olympics at last year’s World Relays, was unavailable after competing in Miami this past weekend.

The back straight is a crucial leg where a speedster can squeeze out a few more than 100m.

“Dambile is in hot form right now,” Simbine said in a video interview with journalists from around the world.

“For me it would actually be Walaza to Dambile to Bradley, because Bradley has the experience from last year, to myself.”

Simbine added that Dambile had been part of the relay squad ahead of the Paris Olympics, though he got injured at their final training camp.

“That would be the team that I would put all my trust in right now because those names were part of the squad that was at the Olympics last year.

“And now because Shaun is not in shape, he’s not running, and Benji is away in America, it’s literally us trying to figure it out.”

Dambile was also part of the South African under-20 team that won gold in a 38.51 sec world record at the 2021 junior world championships.

Simbine, who has been in great form this season, winning the 100m in the first two Diamond League meets in China, was speaking from Guangzhou, where he is awaiting the arrival of his teammates who have been in camp in Johannesburg.

At the 2024 World Relays the men’s 4x400m team was the only South African unit to win a medal, taking silver.

But expectations are higher this time, not only on the 4x100m men but also on the women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m teams, who are all looking to qualify for the world championships in Tokyo later this year.

The top 14 national teams in China will secure their spots automatically, with the next two fastest sides to make up the 16 teams in Tokyo.

But despite the South African confidence heading into Guangzhou, Simbine believes that the country has not yet developed a true relay culture.

“I think the relay culture is growing in South Africa,” said Simbine. “I don't want to say that we have a relay culture. I think it's growing and the interest in relay is growing now and the guys are seeing the potential of actually, ‘let me just rather make a relay team because we have a bigger chance of getting a medal’.”

In the past athletes had preferred to focus on individual events, even though they might not get beyond the semifinals at global competitions.

“So the guys are starting to see that and kind of like to put themselves in positions where they can medal.

“I think the fact that the 4x4 guys did so well last year in world relays and then we, the 4x1 guys did well last year in the Olympics, it's more of a yes to relays in South Africa.

“And the culture now will become a thing of, OK, let's ... start focusing on them. Let’s start building a culture or something where the guys can actually see some value in running relays.”