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Simbine among the 100m favourites in Birmingham

Cape Town - Having already secured his place in the series final, sprinter Akani Simbine will be looking for another confidence booster on Sunday when he carries the South African flag at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham.

Simbine, the only SA athlete in the entry lists, will compete in the 100m event at the 11th of 14 legs in the 2019 IAAF Diamond League campaign.

One of the world's most consistent speedsters, the national record holder is lying in second position in the series standings over the 100m distance, just four points behind world indoor 60m record holder Christian Coleman of the United States.

Simbine is set to line up against five other men who have dipped under 10 seconds this year.

Coleman, however, is the only athlete in the field who has run faster than Simbine's Season Best of 9.93, with the American athlete lining up as the pre-race favourite after clocking 9.81 in Palo Alto in June.

The men's 100m heats are scheduled to start at 14:46 (SA time) on Sunday and Simbine is expected to compete in the final at 16:32, should he progress beyond the first round.

"We are confident that he will find his best legs on the day to better his last performance and gain valuable points. His condition may not yet be on peak but it holds great promise of things to come as we count down to Doha World Champs," said Aleck Skhosana, the President of Athletics South Africa.

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