The 100m world may still be talking about names like Fred Kerley and Letsile Tebogo, but one man has been stealing the show week after week and doing it with a smile. Akani Simbine, South Africa’s sprint king, has not only kept his cool but also kept his perfect record intact. America came to Rabat hunting gold. Instead, they left with bronze and a humbling reminder that the fastest man in the world right now isn’t draped in red, white, and blue.
In a race where Letsile Tebogo didn’t even make the podium, Simbine’s consistency is becoming a nightmare for his rivals. Akani Simbine has flipped the script in 2025. Gone are the days of heartbreak and near misses. This version of Akani is different. From his wind-assisted 9.86 at the Atlanta City Games to his composed, clinical takeovers on the Diamond League circuit, the message is loud and clear. He’s not just fast.
He’s unshakable. While others come with pressure, Akani comes with peace. “No stress; just run and have fun,” he said recently, and yet, somehow, that approach has turned him into the most dangerous man in the 100 meters this year. Lining up against a fired-up Fred Kerley and a powerful Ferdinand Omanyala, Akani Simbine didn’t flinch. He flew.
Clocking 9.95 seconds in Rabat, he left the American and Kenyan stars in his dust, with Omanyala settling for second in 10.05 and Kerley trailing at 10.07 for bronze. It wasn’t just a win. It was a statement. The stakes were higher than ever, and Simbine delivered with clinical precision. Simbine is racing with fire, focus, and finally, the results to match. This might just be his year, and no one, not even the Olympic champ, looks fast enough to stop him.
From his World Indoor bronze in Nanjing to his 9.90 at the Botswana Grand Prix and now another Diamond League win, 2025 has been all about rewriting the narrative.
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