South African sprint sensation Akani Simbine has shattered a legendary record set by Usain Bolt, boldly redefining his legacy and silencing critics who have long labeled him as sprinting’s “nearly man.”
Despite frequently finishing just outside medal contention—including three heartbreaking fourth-place finishes at global championships—Simbine now holds the record for the most consecutive seasons running sub-10 seconds in the 100 meters. His winning time of 9.90 seconds at the 2025 Botswana Grand Prix marked his 11th straight season achieving the feat, overtaking Bolt’s previous record of ten. The 31-year-old is now being hailed as “The Sub-Ten King” for his extraordinary consistency in one of the most competitive events in athletics.
Simbine has often found himself overshadowed by sprinting giants. He placed fifth at Rio 2016, narrowly missed out on medals at both Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024, and finished fourth at three World Championship 100m finals. Still, the South African refuses to let those near misses define his career.
“I have literally put myself to the surface and I proved myself to be an elite athlete,” he told BBC Sport Africa. “I don’t need a medal to prove that. The medal is just the cherry on top.”
He firmly rejected the “nearly man” tag, emphasizing that his persistence and presence at the top level are testaments to his elite status. “Having that tag as the nearly man, it’s noise at the end of the day,” he said. “I don’t see it like that. I see it as an action that’s never given up on trying to be the best. I always show up.”
Simbine finally celebrated his first Olympic medal as part of South Africa’s 4x100m relay team, which secured silver in Paris. He also claimed bronze in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in China, becoming the first South African man to do so.
Now undefeated in 2025, with Diamond League wins in Xiamen and Keqiao, Simbine is eyeing a podium finish at the World Championships in Japan. He’s also targeting one final Olympic appearance in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I’m not thinking about age,” Simbine said. “I just take every year as it comes…2028 is the plan, but it might be my last Olympics.”
