Akani Simbine (born September 21, 1993) is a South African sprinter who has carved his name among the world's elite in the 100-meter dash.His talent emerged early. As a teenager, Simbine shattered the national junior record in Lusaka, Zambia (2012) and broke the coveted sub-10 second barrier the following year. In 2016, he claimed the South African 100m record, followed by a remarkable fifth-place finish in the Olympic final at Rio.Simbine's dominance continued in 2017.
He became the first South African to achieve the sub-10 and sub-20 second feats in the 100m and 200m races on the same day, clocking in at an impressive 9.93 seconds and 19.95 seconds respectively. The year 2018 solidified Simbine's world-class status.
He secured the 100m titles at both the Commonwealth Games and the African Championships. Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Simbine remained focused. In 2021, he led the South African 4x100m relay team to victory at the World Relays and etched his name in history by breaking the long-standing African 100m record with a time of 9.84 seconds (since surpassed by Ferdinand Omanyala).While an Olympic medal narrowly eluded him in Tokyo (2021), finishing just 0.04 seconds off bronze, Simbine remains a force to be reckoned with. He is a five-time top-eight finisher at major championships, a testament to his consistent excellence.
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