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South African 100m outdoor record-holder Akani Simbine will be making his World Indoor Championships debut when the 2025 edition takes place in Nanjing, China, from Friday.
The 31-year-old has finished in the top five over 100m at six outdoor world championships, as well as in two Olympics, but is yet to win a medal. He made his indoor debut in February, clocking 6.57 in Berlin.
With none of the men’s 60m finalists from 2024 competing in Nanjing, the stage is set for a fresh set of medallists to emerge.
Newly-crowned European indoor champion Jeremiah Azu leads the charge heading into Nanjing. The Briton is undefeated so far this year, having retained his national indoor title in 6.56 before going on to win in Apeldoorn.
The Olympic 4x100m bronze medallist produced his best ever form in the Dutch city, clocking a PB of 6.52 in the semis before taking gold with a European-leading 6.49.
Henrik Larsson took silver with a Swedish indoor record of 6.52 while Azu’s teammate Andrew Robertson took bronze in 6.55.
Australian prodigy Lachlan Kennedy ran 6.43 (1.6m/s) outdoors in January, followed by a 100m PB of 10.03 at the start of this month, but Nanjing will represent his first ever indoor competition. It will also be the first time the 21-year-old has contested an individual discipline at a major championships.
Ronnie Baker’s PB of 6.40 dates back to 2018, the year he took world indoor bronze, but the US sprinter is still a force. He has won every final he has contested this year, including a season’s best run of 6.50 in Ostrava and a 6.52 victory at the US Indoor Championships.
SOUTH AFRICAN ATHLETICS IN NANJING
(All SA times)
FRIDAY (21 March)
5.15am: Women’s 800m heats (Prudence Sekgodiso)
6.55am: Men’s 60m heats (Akani Simbine)
2.03pm: Men’s 60m semi-finals (Akani Simbine)
3.24pm: Men’s 60m final (Akani Simbine)
SATURDAY (22 March)
6.05am: Women’s 800m semi-finals (Prudence Sekgodiso)
SUNDAY (23 March)
4.25am: Women’s 60m hurdles, heats (Marione Fourie)
1.35pm: Women’s 60m hurdles, semi-finals (Marione Fourie)
1.38pm: Men’s shot put, final (Chris van Niekerk)
1.40pm: Men’s long jump, final (Cheswill Johnson)
2.54pm: Women’s 800m final (Prudence Sekgodiso)
2.57pm: Women’s 60m hurdles, final (Marione Fourie)
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