The Adidas-Tuks sprinter, Akani Simbine, will be settling in his starting blocks to race next month in Marseille, France.

It will be the first time in more than five months that the South African 100m record-holder challenges the stopwatch. The last time he did so was in March when competed at the Gauteng-North Championships at Tuks. 

Simbine impressed on his home track, winning his heat in a time of 9.91s. It is a mere 0.02s slower than his South African record of 9.89s. It was also the 25th time he dipped under ten seconds.

Werner Prinsloo who coaches Simbine is not one to make bold predictions as to what might happen on 3 September in France.

"When Akani races the focus is never to run a specific time. The aim is instead for Akani to execute what we have practised to perfection. If he does so, there is always a real chance of it being a fast time.

"My job as his coach is to make sure he is ready at the right times. There are never any quick fixes or magic workouts."

In an earlier interview with TuksSport Simbine said his aim always remains the same no matter where and when he races. 

"That is to be faster and better and more clinical in my racing. I can only focus on controlling the controllable. That is giving 100% during training and racing. The aim is to be the best I can when I race. When I can tick off all the boxes, I need to then anything is possible.

The Adidas-Tuks athlete also praised Prinsloo.

"Coach is a perfectionist and someone that is very analytical. He is a great thinker who is on a forever quest to find ways as to how I could gain that extra hundredth of a second.”

According to Prinsloo apart from the race in Marseille Simbine will also compete on 8 September in Italy (36 Palio Citta della Quercia-meeting), 15 September in Switzerland (Gala dei Castelli-meeting) and 17 September the Rome Diamond League Meeting. 

"For now, the plan is that he will only race four times. It might change, but I don't think so." 

Tuks's Rikenette Steenkamp, who is the South African women's record-holder in the 100m-hurdles, has decided not to compete internationally this season.