Akani Simbine/ Picture: Instagram
If there was any doubt before, Akani Simbine has laid those to rest, as he cements his name as one of South Africa’s most legendary sprinters after breaking Usain Bolt’s record to become the first athlete to run under 10 seconds in the men’s 100m races for 11 consecutive years.
Although he was already quite popular, the Paris Olympics catapulted Akani Simbine’s popularity to unprecedented levels, as it marked his first Olympic medal after he formed part of the 4x100m men’s relay that pulled off a silver-medal finish. Furthermore, his impressive performance at this year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing saw his many years of hard work and dedication pay off as he clinched his first individual medal after finishing in third position in the men’s 60m dash.
Over the course of his career, consistency has been the name of Akani’s game, and he has recently solidified his title as the world’s current fastest man after breaking Usain Bolt’s record and becoming the first athlete to record sub-10 seconds for 11 consecutive years. This comes after he recorded a 9.99-second race at the latest Diamond League tournament that recently took place in China.
“The race felt good. I stumbled a bit after the 60, so I had to catch myself, but I happened to catch the wind while catching the win,” the trackstar told media after the race.
🚨𝕊𝕌𝔹-𝟙𝟘 🚨
SA sprint sensation Akani Simbine clinched gold at the Xiamen Diamond League in China this weekend, with a time of 9.99 seconds!
He recently broke Usain Bolt’s record, becoming the first athlete to run under 10 seconds in the 100m for 11 consecutive years! pic.twitter.com/yCionH6PSb
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) April 28, 2025
Track veterans, America’s Justin Gatlin and the Bahamas’ Rodney Green, gave Akani the flowers he deserves, and spoke of his longevity and consistency on the track, commending his ability to enjoy such a long and illustrious career, while maintaining the level that he has.
“That’s why they call him Mr Consistency. He is consistently in every final, in medal contention almost every time he competes,” Rodney says.
Next up, the Limpopo native looks forward to the World Championships set to take place in Tokyo later this September, as fans of the sport want to see whether like in previous years, Akani peaked too early, or whether he will see things through until the end this time.
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