South Africa's 100m national record holder Akani Simbine, set to line up for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship against a stellar field, says he is looking to go close to his personal best (PB) as he concludes his season.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsSimbine, whose PB of 9.82 dates back to August 2024, is chasing his fourth sub-10 of the season, getting back on the track since his seventh-place finish on Friday, 4 September, in the Brussels Diamond League (DL).The South African goes up against a loaded field headlined by World and DL champion Oblique Seville, who is looking to add the title of inaugural Ultimate Champion to his CV, as well as Kayinsola Ajayi, who has beaten the Jamaican twice on the DL circuit this year.Omanyala and Loroupe join forces to hunt Nairobi’s hidden sporting talentAsked whether he is under pressure ahead of the Saturday, 12 September, 8:21 PM race, he says, "There's not that much pressure. It’s more about getting the job done, enjoying being on the track, enjoying the experience of just running and sprinting. I get to be on the track here and do what I love. Getting the job done is trying to be the Ultimate champion, and that’s the goal we're going for." Simbine says the new championship is a different space for athletes to perform. He starts the competition in heat two of the semi-final, up against Seville, Nigerian Ajayi, former Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, World Champion Kenneth Bednarek, Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme, Ronal Longa of Colombia and Ronnie Baker.##NAJAVA_MECA_9952666##"Now it’s straight into it, one chance to get it right to get into the final. It’s different, which is exciting. So maybe it's a pressure that's new, but it's the same thing we do every day, which is to run the 100m."On what a good result would be, Simbine says, "To get into the final and make sure that I fight to be on the podium and have the best race I can. Time-wise, I want to go close to my PB. Something in the 9.80 range would be a good finish to the year and set me up for next season."On his rivals to be crowned Ultimate champion:Why 14 Kenyan players will miss out on inaugural Ultimate 7s"Because all of us are really competitive, it’s whoever shows up on the day. I don’t want to pick one person; it’s all eight who line up in the final. I’m going to do my best race on the day so it can be me.”
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