Atlanta: South African sprinter, Akani Simbine, continued his dominance in the United States when he surged to victory in the 100m at the Atlanta City Games, stopping the clock in 9.86 seconds. The time won’t be recognised as the fastest of the year, given that it was wind-aided, but that won’t matter to the star South African.
According to South African Government News Agency, after winning both 100m Diamond League events this season, winning a medal at the World Indoors and anchoring Team SA to gold in the 4x100m World Relays, Simbine is considered the fastest man on the planet right now, as stated by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).
Simbine competed in the Atlanta City Games on Saturday afternoon. Reacting to the victory, Simbine expressed that there was no pressure, and he enjoyed running without stress. He remarked on the unexpected nature of his time, describing it as “crazy.”
Simbine anticipated competing against the reigning Olympic champion, Noah Lyles, who withdrew from the race due to a “tight ankle” that has affected him over the past two weeks. Simbine’s 9.90 from the Botswanan Golden Grand Prix last month remains the official world lead for 2025, although his performance on Saturday was also satisfying. He started slowly but accelerated at the 50-metre mark, finishing well ahead of Nigerian Udodi Onwuzurike, who placed second with a time of 10.05, as noted by SASCOC.
Also participating was men’s 400m world record holder, Wayde van Niekerk, who made his seasonal debut by finishing third in the 200m with a time of 20.03.