For more than a decade, Akani Simbine has been one of the most consistent and resilient figures in global sprinting. The South African speedster has delivered countless electrifying performances, yet his career has been a tapestry of near-misses, heartbreaks, and untimely setbacks on the sport’s grandest stages. In 2025, however, everything seems to be falling perfectly into place.
A Decade of Consistency, a Career of Near-Misses
Since making his global championship debut in 2013, Simbine has been a regular presence in major sprint finals, from the 2015 Beijing World Championships to the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2017 and 2019 Worlds, and the 2021 Tokyo Games. Yet, each time, fortune seemed to slip through his fingers.
The 2024 Paris Olympics perhaps best encapsulated Simbine’s bittersweet career arc. In the 100m final, he ran a scintillating personal best of 9.82 seconds, a new South African national record. Yet in one of the closest sprint finishes in Olympic history, he finished fourth, missing out on a bronze medal by a mere 0.01 seconds.
Noah Lyles claimed gold with 9.79, and Simbine’s heartbreak was felt across the athletics world. To add context, in a race that lasts under 10 seconds, 0.03 seconds translates to less than half a meter, mere inches on the track.
Even in 2023, Simbine’s run of consistency was briefly derailed when a false start disqualified him from the World Championship semifinals, the first time he’d missed a final in years. It was a harsh blow for an athlete renowned for his discipline and mental fortitude.
Yet, through injuries, disqualifications, and missed podiums, Akani Simbine has refused to quit. As The Final Leg Track & Field commentator Emerole Anderson aptly put it.
“Akani has been knocking on the door of global medals for years.”
A Resurgence Written in Speed
This season, something is different. Simbine has come back with a vengeance, carrying a new hunger and sharper focus. He kicked off 2025 by clinching bronze in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, showing early signs of form. But it was his outdoor season that truly raised eyebrows.
At the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, Simbine clocked a world-leading 9.90 seconds, marking the eleventh consecutive year he has run a sub-10 second time, a feat surpassing even Usain Bolt’s record. From there, he dominated back-to-back Diamond League 100m races in Xiamen and Shanghai, defeating world-class sprinters like Christian Coleman and Kishane Thompson.
His winning streak continued at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, where he anchored South Africa’s 4x100m team to a dramatic gold, besting teams led by America’s top sprinters, including Brandon Hicklin. Rather than taking a break, Simbine kept up his relentless campaign by flying directly to the Adidas Atlanta City Games, where he stormed to victory in 9.86 seconds (wind-aided).
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
Every 100m race Akani Simbine has run this year, save one, has been clocked under 10 seconds. His consistency and form stand in stark contrast to his key rivals.
While Noah Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion, has yet to register a notable 100m time in 2025, Christian Coleman’s best is a modest 10.06 seconds, and Kishane Thompson has managed 9.99.
A Golden Opportunity Beckons
More than just numbers and medals, Simbine’s story resonates because of the resilience it represents. After years of setbacks, false starts, and podium near-misses, he now stands on the cusp of rewriting his legacy.
“Every setback is a setup for something greater,” Simbine recently remarked.
With his speed, experience, and unwavering determination finally converging, the 2025 World Championships may just be the moment Akani Simbine steps into the history books.
For South Africa, and the world of athletics, it would be a crowning achievement long overdue.
