Akani Simbine is winning races, but he’s not winning over the clock. The South African sprint star has been a dominant force on the Diamond League circuit this season, crossing the line first in both Xiamen and Shanghai. In Xiamen, he blazed to a 9.99s finish (0.2 wind), effortlessly pulling away from a stacked field that included heavy hitters like Ferdinand Omanyala, Christian Coleman, and Letsile Tebogo. He delivered a commanding performance that reminded fans why they have long considered Simbine one of the most consistent threats in global sprinting.

Just a week later in Shanghai, Simbine did it again. This time clocking 9.98s in a tightly contested race with a slight 0.5 wind at his back. He crossed the line ahead of Kishane Thompson, Christian Coleman, and Letsile Tebogo once more, solidifying his place atop the early season leaderboard. But for Simbine, the victories haven’t been enough. Despite beating world-class competition, his post-race reaction revealed a deeper frustration. Pointing not to the gold medal but to the ticking stopwatch that continues to deny him the breakthrough time he’s been chasing.

That frustration came through clearly in Simbine’s post-race comments. “Another win. I’m not happy with the race, but taking the win is good,” he admitted, laying bare the gap between the result and the performance he envisioned. “I’m not happy with the start; it is just frustrating that I did not get it right today, but I was at least able to make up for that mistake and get the win.” Even as he stood atop the podium, Simbine’s focus was already shifting to what’s next. World Relays, Atlanta, then the Diamond League stop in Morocco.

It’s a packed May, but for an athlete this driven, that’s not a burden. It’s an opportunity. “I’m looking forward to working on what I need to work on to get better,” he said. He doubled down on the mindset that has kept him relevant for nearly a decade. For Simbine, the wins are welcome but they’re not the finish line. After grabbing bronze in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships with a time of 6.54, he refused to let up. He capitalized on that momentum by tearing up the track in Gaborone, where he ran a blistering, world-leading 9.90 in the 100m. At 30, Simbine has built a reputation not just on speed but on remarkable consistency.

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, he told Olympics.com, “I struggled with self-belief a lot, and now I believe in myself, my talent, and everything that is in me that can make me the best version of myself. I don’t suffer from that anymore, and I am thankful for the journey of believing that you can do so many great things.” That belief isn’t just carrying him forward. It’s powering him through a season that’s shaping up to be one of his best yet.

From chasing soccer balls to chasing Olympic gold, Simbine’s rise

Akani Simbine’s path to sprinting glory has been anything but conventional. Long before he became a global name in track and field, he was just a high school kid in South Africa, often losing races and doubting his athletic potential. It wasn’t until his natural speed on the football pitch caught attention. “I was always the kid where they would kick the ball, and Akani must run after it, and no one is going to catch him,” he recalled. That was when his sprinting journey truly began. But it wasn’t just physical training that transformed him. It was a mental battle. “The most challenging thing I’ve had to overcome was my mind and not believing I can be the best,” Simbine admitted.

Each new achievement after that moment passed strengthened his belief until self-doubt became obsolete. Since his 2016 breakthrough sporting season, Simbine has secured a spot among South Africa’s speediest sprinters without missing a position in the national top ten rankings. The bronze medal achievement by Simbine at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest through his 9.97-second sprint shocked both world sprinting elite competitors because he surpassed many American favorites. It not only confirmed his global championship potential but also made it clear that Simbine has real Olympic gold medal prospects.

And if there were any doubts about his mindset heading into this season, Simbine cleared them all just moments before storming to victory in the Xiamen Diamond League. He told reporters confidently, “And for me, it’s to come here to win, come here to run well, and just start the season off well and on a high note.” His performance backed up every syllable. True to his word, he left no room for speculation, cruising to victory and sending a clear message to his rivals. He didn’t stop there, either. Just a week later in Shanghai, Simbine doubled down, proving once again that this season isn’t just about podiums. It’s about dominance.