South Africa’s Akani Simbine came agonizingly close to securing a medal in the men’s 100m final at the Paris Olympics on Sunday night.
In a race that epitomized the fierce competition and drama of Olympic athletics, the 30-year-old sprinter delivered the performance of his life under the electrifying lights of a packed Stade de France, clocking a blistering 9.82 seconds.
This not only marked the fastest time of his career but also set a new South African record. Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, Simbine finished fourth, mirroring his result from the Tokyo Games three years ago.
It was his third straight Olympic final, solidifying his status as the most consistent sprinter in the world since the Rio Games in 2016, where he finished fifth in 9.94 seconds.
In Tokyo three years ago, he finished fourth in 9.84 seconds. And in Paris, despite his record-breaking time, he found himself in the dreaded fourth position once again.
Fourth at an Olympics is the worst position in sport. To finish fourth in the men’s 100m at successive Olympics is simply cruel of the athletics gods. He had gone progressively fast in each race, clocking 9.87 seconds in winning his semi-final before going even faster in the final.
He got a flying start from lane five, with only Fred Kerley and defending Games champion Marcell Jacobs exploding out of the blocks quicker.
As the athletes hit the 60m mark, they were virtually in a straight line, all surging towards the finish.
The American Noah Lyles and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, in lanes four and seven respectively, looked like they might have just snatched the victory, while Kerley and Simbine remained neck and neck. It took what felt like an eternity to separate them.
Then, up came the confirmation. Lyles had taken gold in 9.79 seconds, the first time he’d gone under 9.80. Thompson won silver, also in 9.79, but was 0.005 of a second behind.
Kerley had taken the bronze in 9.81 seconds, and Simbine was a mere hundredth of a second behind him. Eighth place went to Jamaican Oblique Seville in 9.91 seconds. Extraordinary.
Team SA’s other athletes on the night experienced mixed fortunes. Lythe Pillay and Zakhiti Nene were unable to gain automatic qualification to the semi-finals, but they progressed to the repechages of the men’s 400m and will now have to squeeze another race out of their legs.
Prudence Sekgodiso was uber-impressive in finishing second in her semi-final in 1:57.57 and goes into the women’s 800m final with a puncher’s chance of winning a medal.
As the dust settles on a night of high drama, Akani Simbine’s near-miss will be remembered not just for the heartbreak but for the extraordinary display of speed and resilience that has defined his Olympic journey.
