WATCH | Akani Simbine finds his stride: A Year of perspective, progress and quiet power

In a year when global athletics continued its renaissance, South Africa’s sprint talisman Akani Simbine walked away from 2025 with something far more valuable than a single medal: perspective.

The man who has carried the nation’s hopes in the 100m for nearly a decade reflects on the campaign not through the narrow lens of a single championship result, but through the broader tapestry of a long and demanding season. And in doing so, he reminds us why he remains one of the most respected competitors on the global circuit.

For Simbine, the year began promisingly with an indoor medal – a space where South Africans have historically seldom shone. That performance set the tone for what followed: consistent podium finishes on the Diamond League circuit and, ultimately, a world ranking of third.

“2025 was a successful year man. I am not going to bash it down due to one championship or one competition. It was a good year. It started off well, winning a medal at the indoors and a couple of races in the Diamond League circuit. So, for me it was a successful year. Just one competition didn’t go well but I am not just gonna bash myself for that. I am happy and looking forward to building for next year as well.”

It is a measured perspective from an athlete who has endured the highs and heartbreaks of sprinting’s unforgiving margins.

The central challenge, he admits, was not talent, desire or preparation, but geography. South African athletes remain at the mercy of a domestic calendar that peaks in April, while the global championship season stretches deep into September. That leaves sprinters with the unenviable task of peaking twice, sometimes three times, in a single cycle.

“Having a peak in April, then expecting another in June and another in September becomes very difficult,” he explains. It is the perennial conundrum of being on “the wrong side of the world.”

Despite this, Simbine sees no reason to press the panic button. The structure he and his team followed this year delivered exactly the improvements they targeted, especially in specific phases of his race. The issue, as he concedes, was the disjointed competition rhythm – a glut of early-season 100m races followed by a six-week drought before the World Championships.

In sprinting, where timing and sharpness are everything, that gap was costly.

“We had to work on certain things and we ticked those things off. What we did in the beginning of the year worked and I am happy with that. That was the whole goal of the season, to make sure that that part of my race is better and stronger and I showed that and proved that in the Diamond League," he said.

"It just did not come out in the World Champs, but we are happy and we just need to figure out a long season and figure out how to run in the long season. I am just trusting the coach and letting him take a lead in this.”

Yet even amid personal frustrations, Simbine beams with pride at the state of South African athletics. “It’s as healthy as I’ve seen it in a long time,” he says.

From junior sprinters to relay squads, from middle-distance revelations to the historic moment of two South Africans in a World Championship 100m final, the sport is entering a new dawn. The depth, hunger and belief among younger athletes excites him.

“They actually want to do this thing professionally,” he says with a smile.

The next major stop is the 2026 Commonwealth Games. To some athletes it may feel like an “off year”, but not to Simbine. The goal is clear. The body needs rest – after five consecutive years with major championships – but the mind remains locked in. Longevity is now part of the mission.

“I want to be there in 2028, in LA, still competitive and still aiming for a medal.”

Therein lies the essence of Akani Simbine: resilience, consistency, and an unwavering commitment to the craft. Championships may come and go, but for South Africa’s sprint king, the journey continues – one season, one goal, one peak at a time.