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.
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