Akani Simbine’s motivation after finally winning first global individual medal

After more than a decade of near misses on the global stage, South Africa’s Akani Simbine finally secured his first individual medal.

Since making his global debut at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Simbine had consistently been a strong contender, finishing in the top five over 100m at six major championships but falling just short of the podium each time.

That changed on Saturday, 22 March when he clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 60m final at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.

Competing in the indoor event for the first time, Simbine clocked 6.53 seconds in the final, equaling his personal best to take third place.

His journey to the medal was impressive as he won his heat in 6.57 seconds and finished second in the semifinals with another 6.53-second run.

The final saw him finish behind Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu, who took gold with a personal best of 6.49 seconds, and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy, who claimed silver in 6.50 seconds.

For Simbine, this achievement was a breakthrough moment that fueled his ambitions for the outdoor season.

Reflecting on his long wait for a global individual medal, the South African shared an inspiring message.

“Never stop believing in yourself. Never stop believing in the dream that you had when you started running. You know, I've been an athlete, I’ve been running and making finals and always placing fourth and just missing out on medals. And I never gave up. That’s one thing I did for myself I never gave up. And I’m really happy that I’ve always pushed and always believed,” he told World Athletics.

His resilience was evident at the Paris Olympic Games, where he was determined to secure a medal but finished fourth once again, behind Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, and Kishane Thompson.

Simbine is now shifting focus to the Diamond League Meetings, which will serve as a crucial build-up to the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, scheduled for September.

Having finally broken his medal drought, he is determined to make an impact on the biggest stage yet again. He emphasized the importance of perseverance and passion in the sport.

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“Keep on believing in yourself. Keep on enjoying the sport. Keep on seeing the sport as a sport and enjoying it, and just keep on growing with the sport, because when you enjoy it, you'll grow, and that gives you a lot of fun and longevity in the sport. I'm enjoying running. I'm loving it right now. And feel round, feel fresh, feel good too. I don’t know if I can do another 10 years, but if my wife allows me,” he joked.