The South African sprinter has reflected on past achievements and prepares for a major comeback at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
South Africa's sprint king Akani Simbine has looked back on his illustrious career as he gears up for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
Simbine, a household name in track and field, made headlines in July 2021 when he set a new Africa 100m record with a time of 9.84 seconds, a record that was surpassed just months later by Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala.
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Despite this, Simbine remains a formidable force in sprinting as he eyes success on the world's biggest stage once more.
"Hearing I was the fastest man in African history, becoming the African record holder at 9.84 seconds will forever be my golden moment! Looking ahead, I am so grateful to be representing SA at the Olympic Games Paris 2024," Simbine expressed in a heartfelt post on Instagram.
Simbine first captured international attention when he broke the African 100m record in July 2021.
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It stood until it was surpassed by Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala with an even faster time of 9.77 seconds just two months later.
This rivalry has added a layer of intensity to Simbine's training as he eyes redemption and aims to reclaim his titles in the upcoming global competitions.
The 2022 season proved to be a challenging year for Simbine.
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After losing his African record, he also relinquished his African and Commonwealth Games titles to Omanyala, who has emerged as one of his fiercest competitors.
Despite these setbacks, Simbine demonstrated his unwavering class by securing a second-place finish behind Omanyala at both major championships that year.
Moreover, Simbine's consistency on the global stage is commendable as he has been a dominant force in African sprinting for nearly a decade, reaching the finals in the last two Olympics and competing in three of the last four World Championships.
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His breakthrough under the 10-second barrier in 2015 was just the beginning of what would become a career highlighted by 40 legal sub-10-second times in the 100m.
Born in a humble suburb of Johannesburg, Simbine's rise in athletics was nurtured by his education at the University of Pretoria, where he studied Information Science.
His parents emphasizing the importance of a solid educational foundation ensured he had the tools to succeed both on and off the track.
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