‘You fought hard’: Simbine earns respect of SA in closest Olympic men’s 100m final

Akani Simbine produced a performance of immense quality and courage to finish fifth in the Olympic men’s 100m final on Sunday night, matching his best position achieved at a major global championships.

It was the closest men’s 100m final in Olympic history and Simbine was in contention for a medal until the last 10m. But he produced a time of 9.93 seconds, which was one-hundredth slower than Canadian Andre de Grasse, who took the bronze medal.

Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs won the gold medal in a shock victory in 9.80, ahead of American Fred Kerley (9.84). The times of the top five finishers were separated by just 0.06 seconds.

Simbine, who won his semi-final with an African record time of 9.84, has now run five sub-10-second 100m times in 2021 – a remarkable achievement in a season which has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 27-year-old from Kempton Park was given a rapturous reception on social media, with many praising his fighting spirit and determination.

“You fought hard, Akani Simbine. We are proud of you,” wrote one fan on Twitter.

“Akani Simbine, you are a true warrior. You have done South Africa proud,” added another.

Simbine has now set his sights on winning a medal at the World Championships in Oregon next year.

“I’m disappointed not to get a medal, but I’m proud of my performance. I gave it my all and I’m happy with the time I ran,” said Simbine.

“I’m going to use this experience to fuel my training for the World Championships. I know I can win a medal there.”

Simbine’s performance in Tokyo was a fitting end to a remarkable season for the South African sprinter. He has proven himself to be one of the best in the world and he is now a genuine contender for a medal at the next major championships.

Massive night for SA sprinters at Olympics as Akani leads charge: ‘This is huge’

Akani Simbine’s fifth-place finish in the men’s 100m final was the highlight of a massive night for South African sprinters at the Olympics on Sunday.

Wayde van Niekerk also reached the final of the men’s 400m, while Carina Horn finished eighth in the women’s high jump.

Van Niekerk, the reigning Olympic 400m champion, qualified for the final with a time of 44.50 seconds, the third fastest in the semi-finals.

Horn, who is competing in her third Olympics, cleared 1.93m in the high jump qualification to reach the final, where she eventually finished eighth with a height of 1.96m.

The performances of Simbine, Van Niekerk and Horn were praised by Athletics South Africa (ASA) president James Moloi.

“This is a massive night for South African sprinting,” said Moloi.

“Akani Simbine has shown that he is one of the best sprinters in the world and he is a genuine contender for a medal at the next major championships.

“Wayde van Niekerk is also back to his best and he is a threat to win the 400m gold medal in Tokyo.

“Carina Horn has also performed well and she is one of the best high jumpers in the world.”

Moloi said the performances of the South African sprinters were a sign of the progress that has been made in the sport in recent years.

“We have a lot of talented young sprinters coming through and I am confident that we will continue to achieve success on the international stage,” said Moloi.