Track and field’s nearly man. That’s the nickname bestowed upon Akani Simbine, or rather, that was the nickname. And it made sense given that Simbine took 12 years to win his first global individual medal, finally doing it in 2025. But along the way, the 32-year-old was setting up an era-defining record that nobody even noticed until he flew past Usain Bolt. And now he’s eclipsed the world’s fastest man.

Because Akani Simbine just ran yet another sub-10 in the 100m, clocking 9.98 seconds in the 2026 Simbine Classic. It marks the 12th consecutive season that the South African has done that, eclipsing Bolt’s 10. This comes less than a year after he made the record his own, registering 9.90 seconds in Botswana in 2025.

That earned him a new nickname: “the sub-10 king,” which perfectly suits the Olympian. After all, no other sprinter has come close to the South African’s record. Asafa Powell managed nine, Maurice Greene hit eight, while Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin both managed seven. It places the 32-year-old in a league of his own, which will be relatively new territory given that Simbine has historically struggled.

The now 32-year-old was sprinting’s nearly man for nearly a decade, coming close multiple times. He finished fifth in the 200m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and then fifth in the 100m at the 2016 Olympics, which kicked off a trend. The very next year, he finished fifth at the World Championships and then fourth at the 2019 World Championships.

It got even worse. At the 2021 Olympics, he finished fourth again, then fifth at the 2022 worlds, and failed to qualify for the final at the 2023 worlds. All the while, however, Akani Simbine was setting national records and regularly clocking sub-10 times. 

It did, however, earn him the tag of sprinting’s nearly man, although his family never quite saw it that way.

“Having that tag as the nearly man, it’s noise at the end of the day,” Simbine told BBC Sport, via Olympics.com. “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.

“I get disappointed, but my family says being disappointed with fourth in the world is a bit crazy – because you are the fourth fastest person alive.”

Then things started changing. In 2024, Simbine ended his drought of Olympic medals, winning silver in the 4x100m relay. He then won his first global individual medal, winning the bronze in the 60m at the 2025 World Indoors Championships. The South African won four gold medals in various events, including the 100m and the 4x100m relay at the World Relays.

This comes even as Simbine has had to split his time between his new responsibilities off the track and his training on it.

Akani Simbine reflects on a successful inaugural Simbine Classic

Now considered to be arguably one of South Africa’s most consistent sprinters, Akani Simbine has taken things to a new level. The 32-year-old has also become the architect of a new era for South African track and field. That became evident when the Simbine Classic became the first World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event held in the country.

The 32-year-old has spent months setting up the event and trying to ensure everything goes perfectly as the meet director. And while only time will tell what kind of impact this has on South African athletics, the inaugural meet went perfectly. It saw a host of athletes deliver stellar performances, and it left Simbine beaming.

“I’m a happy man, I’m happy today went well,” Simbine said as per The Mercury. “It was a success. We made it come out. We made it happen. The stand was full.

“It (the event) got broadcast; we had the kids getting to see their dreams become a reality, and we had our athletes running against international stars. I can’t ask for anything more, man. It was a successful day for athletics in South Africa.”

Unfortunately for Akani Simbine, while his role as meet director went well, his performance on the track did not. The 32-year-old did break the sub-10 mark in the 100m heat but then cramped up in the final. It meant that he only crossed the line at a sub-par 11.25, finishing last. 

And while his final didn’t go to plan, Simbine’s latest sub-10 ensured his name stands alone. That’s even with a record that Usain Bolt can’t match. And for a man once labeled the nearly man, it’s a fitting reminder that consistency can carve out greatness of its own.