Sinesipho Dambile eyes SA record at Diamond League final

The 24-year-old is aiming to break the South African 200m record of 19.69 seconds, set by Clarence Munyai in 2018.

Dambile will face a strong field that includes Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, Kenneth Bednarek of the USA, Puerto Rico’s Jose Figueroa, Switzerland’s Timothé Mumenthaler, Cuba’s Reynier Mena and Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba.

The South African goes into the race full of confidence after enjoying a fantastic season, which included winning Commonwealth Games gold.

Dambile has already run a personal best of 19.74 seconds and believes he is capable of going even faster.

“For me, it is about making sure that I show up in the Diamond League final. I am hoping to break the SA 200m record. It’s a huge ask, but that is my goal,” Dambile told SABC Sport.

“I don’t know when it will happen and it’s not something I have always put pressure on myself to do.

If I can’t break it at the Diamond League final, I still believe I have a lot of time to keep trying until I break it.

“We still have the Ultimate Championships in Budapest later this month, so I am hoping to break the record as soon as possible.”

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Dambile says his Commonwealth Games performance showed him that he is in the right shape to challenge the long-standing record.

“I know I have proven that I can do it, looking at the way I ran in the Commonwealth Games final. I knew I was in great shape, and I am just hoping for that one race where I can push myself to the limit,” he added.

While breaking the record is a major goal, Dambile is determined not to put too much pressure on himself.

“There is no time frame on the record. If I do it now, it’s great, and if I achieve it later, it is still okay with me.”

However, the young sprinter has a bigger target in mind of arriving at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as South Africa’s 200m record holder.