Sunday night was a rollercoaster of emotions for South African sprinting fans. Akani Simbine, our star sprinter, once again found himself in the most heart-wrenching position at the Olympic finals—fourth place. In the 100m final on Sunday night, Simbine clocked an astonishing 9.82 seconds, breaking his own national record. Yet, it wasn’t quite enough to earn him that elusive Olympic medal.

In one of the closest 100m finals in Olympic history, American Noah Lyles took the gold with a time of 9.79 seconds, just five-thousandths of a second ahead of Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. The bronze went to the USA’s Fred Kerley, who finished in 9.81 seconds, narrowly edging out Simbine. Talk about a photo finish!

Despite the disappointment, Simbine’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. His time of 9.82 seconds would have secured a medal in the previous two Olympic Games. This was his third consecutive Olympic final, making him the first South African to achieve such a feat. He’s not just breaking records; he’s changing how sprinting is perceived in South Africa. “I may not be getting the medals, but … I’m changing how sprinting is seen in South Africa and motivating a lot of kids,” said Simbine. 

But don’t count Simbine out just yet. The 30-year-old sprinter is set to compete in the 4x100m relay later this week, alongside teammates Shaun Maswanganyi and Benjamin Richardson, both of whom also made it to the semi-finals. Wayde van Niekerk, the world-renowned 400m record holder, completes the formidable lineup as the fourth member of South Africa’s 4x100m relay team, adding further strength and experience to their medal pursuit.

With such a strong lineup, South Africa has a genuine shot at the podium. “We’re not done yet, we’re coming back in the relay,” said Simbine. “We have another shot in the relay and we’re going to go for it.”

It’s not just the men who are shining on the track. Prudence Sekgodiso has qualified for the women’s 800m final, set to race tonight at 9:45. She finished second in her semi-final with a time of 1:57.57, showing she’s a strong contender for a medal. 

The excitement isn’t over for Team South Africa as they prepare for their next races. Sekgodiso will be competing in the women’s 800m final tonight, aiming to continue her impressive performance. Additionally, the South African men’s 4x100m relay team will hit the track on Thursday for the heats, with high hopes for a podium finish. 

Don’t miss the action as our athletes continue to make us proud!