Olympians look back on achievements
Olympians Akani Simbine and Ruswahl Samaai are the Panasonic ambassadors till the end of 2016.
OLYMPIANS Akani Simbine and Rushwahl Samaai returned to the country from recently held Rio Olympic Games, which were held in August, flying the South African flag.
Both athletes’, who are the Panasonic brand ambassadors, performances at the Olympic Games were of high calibre and they are convinced that this has made them even stronger for competing in future, abroad and in South Africa.
“I am going to compete mostly in South Africa in all the meetings here and then I will be leaving for Europe to compete there,” said Samaai, who made the finals at the Olympics in the men’s long jump. “At this stage I am focusing on the World Championships and want to have a podium finish.”
Simbine, who ran in fifth position in the 100m finals alongside one of the world’s best, Usain Bolt, said,” It meant a lot for me to compete against Usain, who has now retired, and to compete against him. I have learnt from him and the way he approaches his event. I know that I can run better times and now that all the front runners are retiring it opens up a gap for the young ones. I will definitely be among the next generation running constantly our nine-plus seconds over the 100m.”
Akani and Rushwahl are part of Panasonic’s “Make Me Better” campaign, which is focused on showcasing an unrivalled dedication to improving the user experience and lives of South African consumers.
Speaking at the event, Claudine Rodriguez, Panasonic’s head of marketing said, “The boys have really hit the heights this year and as Panasonic South Africa, we couldn’t be prouder of them. By the look of it, the future is extremely bright for these two young men and we expect that their careers will go from strength to strength over the next few seasons.”
This year, Akani Simbine broke the South African 100m record, as well as qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio, in which he finished fifth in the 100m final. There is a very real prospect of the athlete stamping his name in 100m history in the seasons to come.
Samaai began the year on a high note, by finishing first and jumping his personal best (8.38m) in the men’s long jump at the African Championships. Rushwahl went into this year’s Olympics Games as one of the medal favourites in his discipline, but sadly a hamstring injury during speed training before the competition saw him finishing ninth overall.
For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You can also email our offices on cvdwalt@caxton.co.za, juliem@caxton.co.za or luckyt@caxton.co.za
Add us on WhatsApp today! Comaro Chronicle: 079 427 8074 and Southern Courier: 079 404 5789.
