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Akani Simbine
South African sprinter / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Akani Simbine (born 21 September 1993) is a South African sprinter specialising in the 100 metres event.[1] He was fifth at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's 100 metres and was the 100 metres African record holder with a time of 9.84 seconds set in July 2021 until broken by Ferdinand Omanyala in September 2021.
![]() Simbine at the 2016 Summer Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nationality | South African | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1993-09-21) 21 September 1993 (age 30) Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 74 kg (163 lb)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Country | South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University team | University of Pretoria Tuks HPC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Werner Prinsloo[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Simbine was a World Championships finalist in the men's 100 metres in 2017 (fifth) and 2019 (fourth), and was 100 metres champion at the 2018 African Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games. In the 4 × 100 metres relay, he helped South Africa become champions at the African Championships in 2016 and 2018, and place second at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with a South African record time of 38.24 seconds. He anchored South Africa to gold at the 2021 World Relays. Simbine has finished inside the top 5 in the last four major championship 100m races, including 4th in 2019 World Athletics Championships – Men's 100 metres and Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres missing out on the bronze medal to Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse.
After missing out on a medal yet again in the men's 100 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympics – finishing fourth with a new South African record time of 9.82, Simbine finally won an Olympic silver medal as part of South Africa's 4 x 100 metres relay team on 9 August 2024.
On 10 July 2024, the South African Olympic Committee designated him and the artistic gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz as the flag bearers at the París 2024 Olympic Games.[5]