When the dust settled in Xiamen, Akani Simbine stood tall, and everybody else was left playing catch-up. He clocked 9.99s (0.2) to take the win in 100m, and honestly? He made it look way easier than it should’ve been. The race had some big names lining up — Ferdinand Omanyala, Jeremiah Azu, Christian Coleman, Letsile Tebogo but once that gun went off, it was Simbine’s world and everybody else was just visiting. Omanyala came closest, crossing in 10.13s. Azu, the new World Indoor champ, grabbed third with a season’s best 10.17s. And Coleman? One of the guys you expect to be battling for the win? He couldn’t find that extra gear and ended up fourth at 10.18s.

The full rundown tells the story: Simbine 9.99, Omanyala 10.13, Azu 10.17 (SB), Coleman 10.18, Lachlan Kennedy 10.18, Emmanuel Eseme 10.19 (SB), Letsile Tebogo 10.20 (SB), Zhenye Xie 10.23 (SB), Rohan Watson 10.31 (SB), and Abdul Hakim Sani Brown 10.42 (SB). Lachlan Kennedy outran Gout Gout at the Maurie Plant Meet. Coleman had famously defeated the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt, and Letsile Tebogo, secured the Men’s 200m gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and notwithstanding their dazzling resumes, could not hold a candle to Simbine’s fire. Bottom line? If you were cheering for the Americans, this was one of those races you just pretended didn’t happen. Bad day all around.

And sure enough, when it came time to deliver, Akani Simbine backed up every bit of the promise he made just hours before his Diamond League victory. Right before the race, Simbine had told reporters, “Obviously I came here for a win, you know, and for me I have great competitors that are here, but it’s obviously to win.” He added, “And for me it’s to come here to win, come here to run well, and just start the season off well and on a high note.” Naturally, those confident words had fans buzzing — and true to his word, Simbine showed up and showed out. Even after the race, he wasn’t done talking, keeping that same winning energy going.

After the race, Simbine talked like a guy who’s been through it, made mistakes, learned, and is now locking in. “The race felt good,” he said. “I stumbled a bit after the 60, so I had to catch myself, but happened to catch the wind while catching the win. Keep going with the momentum I have now. Going back to the basics. Putting myself in a position to learn. I think if the conditions are good and we have a favorable wind to us—if everything is primed for us to run fast—we run fast. I am happy with putting the race together as I said before and getting the win.” He promised himself to learn and put up a fight and so he did. He came back and left track stars behind in his dust. He secured a win at one of the most sought-after track events ever. But there’s more.

It wasn’t just about winning today. It was about setting the tone. Simbine’s not just chasing fast times anymore — he’s chasing greatness. And after a day like this? You better believe the rest of the world heard him loud and clear. But among all, Tebogo, Coleman, and Akani, who is the fastest?

Christian Coleman, Akani Simbine, and Tebogo usher in a new era of sprinting

Well, Christian Coleman has set the pace with his 9.76-second 100m, a personal best that ranks him as the sixth-fastest sprinter in history. This was no fluke—he also owns the indoor 60m world record at 6.34 seconds, proving he’s got speed in more than one lane. While he hasn’t grabbed the 100m Olympic gold just yet, his silver in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo 2020 Games shows he’s a force to be reckoned with.

But don’t count out Akani Simbine, who’s not far behind. With a 9.82-second personal best at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Simbine snagged the silver medal, making his mark as South Africa’s fastest sprinter ever. This performance topped off a career of consistent finishes, including standout moments at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Letsile Tebogo emerged as the rising track star from Botswana during the Paris 2024 after making history. At the men’s 200m event, Tebogo ran to victory, clocking 19.46 seconds, leaving behind the likes of Grand Slam Track standout Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Bednarek and Olympic men’s 100m champion, Noah Lyles. Among them, all three athletes achieved memorable Olympic successes, but Coleman maintains the quickest recorded performance. These sprinters are currently establishing an upcoming pathway that will lead to elevated achievements for track and field sports.