You can hail from Jamaica, U.S, Kenya, or anywhere else on the map, but right now, the sprinting conversation starts and stops with South Africa’s Akani Simbine.
In a 2025 track and field season already brimming with electric performances, Simbine is rewriting the narrative.
Noah Williams, the NCAA 400m champion and one of the brightest young names in U.S athletics, has gone on record, admitting what many were thinking but hesitant to say.
A Blistering Start That Set the Tone
Simbine made his intentions known early. At the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in March, he clocked a world-leading 9.90 seconds in the 100m, in his season opener.
From there, it’s been one headline-grabbing performance after another. Victories at the Diamond League Xiamen and Shanghai meets, posting times of 9.99 and 9.98 respectively, confirmed Simbine’s remarkable consistency. And when it came to the Adidas Atlanta City Games on May 17, he unleashed a searing 9.86 to take the win.
Even indoors, where traditionally African sprinters have struggled to dominate, Simbine stepped up, claiming his first global medal, a bronze in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships with a time of 6.54 seconds.
Noah Williams captured the mood best on the Track World News podcast.
“He’s been on fire this year… He’s putting belt to a* on everybody right now. He’s kind of the top dog — until we see Noah?”
South Africa’s Relay Masterclass
If Simbine’s individual exploits weren’t enough, he anchored South Africa to its first-ever men’s 4x100m gold at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou on May 11. Teaming up with Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile, and Bradley Nkoana, Simbine chased down the U.S in the final stretch, crossing the line in 37.61 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year.
It wasn’t just a race; it was a power shift.
“Once I got the baton and saw USA in front of us, I just said to myself, ‘I need to catch the guy in front,’” Simbine told reporters after the race.
“I feed from chasing.”
The U.S. finished second in 37.66, plagued yet again by baton exchange issues, while Canada claimed bronze in 38.11. But the spotlight belonged to South Africa.
Noah Williams didn’t hesitate to salute the effort.
“That was an incredible job by South Africa, anchored by Akani… Bro, South Africa’s on fire. They got a lot of talent. I was unfamiliar with their game, and I apologize for that, but it’s exciting to see a gem like that in the sport.”
A New Sprinting Era?
For decades, the U.S. has ruled the sprints, from Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene to Tyson Gay and Trayvon Bromell. But as Simbine continues his red-hot form en route to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September, a new chapter is being written.
Simbine isn’t just the fastest African on the track this year, he’s the man everyone is chasing.
His combination of world-class top-end speed, ice-cold finishing, and relentless hunger has him firmly positioned as the man most likely to dethrone the U.S sprint monopoly. And with another Olympic campaign in Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, his window to greatness is far from closing.
The baton has officially been passeand Akani Simbine is running away with it.
