Akani Simbine just reminded the track world why you never count out a veteran with something to prove. At 31, the South African sprint star turned back the clock and lit up the track at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix. Fans couldn’t stop talking about it. But his performance wasn’t just good. No, it was a masterclass in control, power, and experience. While younger sprinters continue to rise, Simbine showed that 2025 might still be the year of the seasoned sprinter. Don’t believe us?

Well then, let us remind you of the lineups from yesterday. Simbine was shoulder to shoulder with the elites of African sprinting, including the likes of Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala and fellow countryman Retshidisitswe Mlenga. But Simbine didn’t even flinch. He didn’t need drama to make headlines. With clean execution and fierce determination, he stormed to the finish like a man on a mission, leaving fans and rivals stunned in his wake.

Just weeks after claiming bronze with a 6.54 in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships, Simbine proved he’s not just in form. He’s on fire. World Athletics took to X to drop the bomb, “WORLD LEAD 🚨 Fresh off his 60m bronze at the World Indoor Champs, Akani Simbine flies to a world-leading 9.90 in the 100m in Gaborone 💪.” That number alone had fans freaking out, but it was how he did it that hit the fans the hardest. After all, Simbine clocked that 9.90 into a -1.4 headwind. Let that sink in.

That’s the kind of performance you expect with the wind at your back, not when it’s trying to hold you down. The South African didn’t just win the race. He slapped a world-leading time on the 2025 season and did it with style. To make it even sweeter? That 9.90 dropped the hammer on a short list of sub-10s this year. Before this, the fastest mark of the year belonged to yet another South African, Bayanda Walaza.

The youngster had clocked a fiery 9.99 back on March 16 at the Gauteng North Provincial championships. But now with his victory in Botswana, Simbine leads the global charts and joins Walaza as the only two men under 10 seconds this season. Oh, and don’t forget! Noah Lyles hasn’t opened his 100m campaign yet. But when he does? You can bet every track fan will be watching.

Especially if it means a head-to-head with Simbine. Imagine the fire if those two line up again. The anticipation, the replay-worthy tension, the all-out war to the finish. For Simbine, this isn’t just about fast times. It’s about legacy. After finally snagging his first individual global medal with a bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, he’s got momentum and hunger.

Despite consistently making global finals for over a decade, he’s never stood alone on top of a global outdoor podium. But now? He’s confident, in form, and chasing more than just season bests. With Tokyo’s World Championships looming this summer, Simbine’s got one goal. Break the curse, claim that individual global gold, and rewrite the final chapter of his career in epic fashion.

Akani Simbine’s 9.90 ignites fan frenzy and hope for 2025 glory

South African sprint legend Akani Simbine is not just running fast. He’s running straight into people’s hearts. One supporter captured the spirit of the moment perfectly when he said, “If ‘never ever give up on yourself’ were a person,. Now @AkaniSimbine holds a record. Congratulations 🎉🎉👏🏿👏🏿 inspiring.” And inspiring is right. Simbine’s path hasn’t been easy.

After missing the podium in Tokyo 2020 and publicly opening up about the emotional toll that followed, his resurgence on the world stage isn’t just athletic. He’s been the nearly man of global sprinting for over a decade. But today? Today, he’s the man of the moment. That moment didn’t come easy, either. Simbine lined up against Africa’s elite, including Kenya’s powerhouse Ferdinand Omanyala. The result?

Pure dominance from start to finish. Fans loved the flex, with one even saying, “No DNA, just RSA.🔥” That kind of fanfare speaks volumes. Especially in a season where teen sensation Bayanda Walaza stunned the world with a 9.99 at the AGN Championships in Pretoria, and Letsile Tebogo is still the crown prince of African sprinting. Talk about his performance at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting.

Simbine didn’t just show up. He made sure everyone knew he was still breathing fire. Even the science behind the race added to Simbine’s legend. And that 9.90? It came into a brutal -1.4 headwind. That’s not just fast. It’s freakish. One fan didn’t let that go unnoticed: “9.9 into a -1.4 headwind is insane.” And it truly is. Just ask Aussie teen prodigy Gout Gout, who clocked two sub-10s this year but had both wiped out due to illegal tailwinds.

Gout said it best, “You can’t control the wind… you’ve got to learn how to run with it or against it.” Simbine didn’t just run against it. He conquered it. Still, fans aren’t just watching with awe. They’re hoping this is the year he cashes in. “Please don’t peek too soon, Akani! Big medals up this year!” one worried supporter tweeted.

Another echoed the long-held hope of every South African sprint fan, “I hope 2025 is Simbine’s year.” And why shouldn’t it be? With a World Indoor bronze already in his pocket and the fastest 100m of the year in his legs, Akani Simbine is not just in form. He’s in full force. The story’s not finished, but the script is heating up. And this time, he might just write the ending we’ve all been waiting for.