Who Is Akani Simbine? South African That Defeated Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley at Shanghai Diamond League?

Akani Simbine has grabbed the limelight yet again. Having missed the Olympic podium position in Tokyo and Rio by a whisker, Simbine’s graph has been on the ascent. Born in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa, Simbine was fascinated with the tracks since childhood. He began his journey playing for the Tuks HPC, his University team from Pretoria. Over the years, Simbine developed his mastery in the 100m and 200m disciplines. 

At one point, Akani Simbine held the 100m African record by clocking 9.84s in 2021. Unfortunately, his reign at the top was short-lived, as Ferdinand Omanyala toppled the time in September of the same year. His 200m personal best stands at 19.95s. Well, cut to the present, the South African seems to be peaking at the moment. And guess what? Simbine has just beaten the likes of Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley. 

Akani Simbine gets the better of Christian Coleman

Kicking things off, the main focus was on Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley. Either of the two phenoms was expected to clinch the gold, making a strong statement ahead of Paris. In a complete U-turn, Akani Simbine displayed emphatic dominance to bag the gold at 10.01s. Running an identical time, Coleman was unfortunately adjudged second via a photo finish.

Fred Kerley lagged behind significantly, clocking 10.11s to pick up the bronze. Simbine gave tough competition to Kerley and accelerated at the right time to stun Coleman. A jubilant Simbine beamed after his victory saying, “This has built a lot of confidence leading into the Olympic year. This helps build momentum, which I hope to build on further as the season progresses.” However, this was not the only instance of the Protea beating the odds. 

Simbine beat Fred Kerley in 2023

Competing at the Silesia Diamond League in 2023, Akani Simbine proved to be a blitzkrieg. Maintaining impeccable composure, the 30-year-old edged past Fred Kerley to add another gold to his bejeweled arsenal. Kerley was impressed with his time of 9.98s but came just short of Simbine, who clocked 9.97s to come out victorious. 

Reflecting on his friendship with Fred Kerley, Simbine opined, “I know, I am the first to beat Fred this year; we have a good friendship and a good rivalry. I am very satisfied with my performance and hope to continue my good form.” Indeed, the red-hot form of Akani Simbine is enough to re-install the Olympic dreams in the minds of thousands of track and field enthusiasts in South Africa.