Asimenye Simwaka

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Asimenye Simwaka

| image = ASIMENYE SIMWAKA au Championnats d'Afrique d'athlétisme 2024 21.jpg

| nationality = Malawian

| country = Malawi

| sport = Track and field, football

| event = Sprints

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|8|8|df=y}}

| birth_place = Malawi

| medaltemplates = {{Medal |Sport |Women's athletics}}

{{Medal |Country |{{MWI}} }}

}}

Asimenye Simwaka (born 8 August 1997) is a Malawian athlete and footballer who plays as a forward for the Malawi women's national team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.kulinji.com/article/sports/athletics/2020/female-football-star-conquers-athletics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730231307/https://www.kulinji.com/article/sports/athletics/2020/female-football-star-conquers-athletics|url-status=usurped|archive-date=30 July 2021|title=Female football star conquers athletics|website=Kulinji|first=Benjamin|last=Maona|date=16 February 2020|accessdate=30 July 2021}} She competed in the 2020 and 2024 Paris Olympics, carrying the flag for Malawi on both. She is employed by the Malawian Defence Force.

Athletics career

In February 2020 she surprised herself and the other competitors when she entered the National Cross-Country championships in Mzuzy and she won it.

Simwaka competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as the sole Malawian track and field athlete.{{Cite web|title=Athletics - SIMWAKA Asimenye|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1360772-simwaka-asimenye.htm|access-date=2021-07-30|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|archive-date=17 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817201817/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1360772-simwaka-asimenye.htm|url-status=dead}} After breaking the Malawian national record in the women's 100 meters preliminary heats, she simultaneously became the national record holder for the 100, 200 and 400 meters.{{Cite web|title=Asimenye SIMWAKA {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics|url=https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/malawi/asimenye-simwaka-14974007|access-date=2021-07-30|website=www.worldathletics.org}} She improved her national record in the subsequent heats with a time of 11.68 seconds but did not qualify for the semi-finals.{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-100m-rnd1-000100-.htm|title=Athletics - Round 1 - Heat 1 Results|access-date=30 July 2021|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730093738/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-100m-rnd1-000100-.htm|url-status=dead}}

Simwaka carried the Malawian flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She participated in the 100m heats but was unable to advance due to a hamstring injury.{{Cite web |last=Malidadi |first=Mphatso |date=2024-08-03 |title=Asimenye Simwaka’s Olympics dream ends, Swimmer Tayamika Chang’anamuno competes Saturday |url=https://times.mw/asimenye-simwakas-olympics-dream-ends-swimmer-tayamika-changanamuno-competes-saturday/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=The Times Group |language=en-US}}

On 15 February 2025 she decided to not be a member of National Football team so that could defend her national champion status at the cross-country championship at the Kamuzu Academy’s Kachere Golf Course in Mtunthama.

= Personal Bests =

class="wikitable"

!Event

!Time

!Date

!Notes

100 meters

|11.68

| 30 July 2021

|NR

200 meters

|22.91

| 25 June 2024

|NR

400 meters

|51.55

| 7 August 2022

|NR

Football career

=Club career=

Simwaka has played for Topik in Malawi.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cafonline.com/news-center/news/malawi-recall-chawinga-duo-for-kenya-olympic-test|title=Malawi recall Chawinga duo for Kenya Olympic test|website=CAF|date=25 August 2019|accessdate=30 July 2021}}

=International career=

Simwaka capped for Malawi at senior level during three COSAFA Women's Championship editions (2019, 2020 and 2021).{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1100495/malawi-thrash-lesotho-at-cosafa-champs|title=Chawinga hits six as Malawi earn 9-0 win at COSAFA Women's Championship|website=Inside The Games|date=7 November 2020|accessdate=30 July 2021}}