Nanjing, China – March 21, 2025
South Africa’s sprint ace Akani Simbine clinched the bronze medal in a high-octane men’s 60m final on Day 1 of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.
Simbine, who had a flawless run through the early rounds, opened his campaign by winning his heat in 6.57 seconds before placing second in the semifinal with a sharp 6.53, just behind Puerto Rico’s Eloy Benitez. That effort secured him a place in a star-studded final, where every athlete had run 6.60 or faster to qualify.
Lining up in lane 3, Simbine faced an elite field that included sprint powerhouses such as Ronnie Baker (USA), Jeremiah Azu (GBR), and Rohan Watson (JAM). Despite a slightly slower start out of the blocks, the South African powered through the second half of the race to secure third place behind gold medallist Azu of Great Britain and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy, who took silver.
The final lineup featured:
- Lane 1: Zhenye Xie (CHN)
- Lane 2: Lachlan Kennedy (AUS)
- Lane 3: Akani Simbine (RSA)
- Lane 4: Ronnie Baker (USA)
- Lane 5: Eloy Benitez (PUR)
- Lane 6: Jeremiah Azu (GBR)
- Lane 7: Rohan Watson (JAM)
- Lane 8: Julian Forde (BAR)
Simbine’s podium finish marks a significant individual milestone after narrowly missing out on a medal in the historic 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where all finalists ran sub-10 seconds — a first in Olympic history. He later claimed Olympic silver in the 4x100m relay alongside teammates Bayanda Walaza, Brandon Nkoana, and Shaun Maswanganyi.
With this bronze medal, Simbine adds a prestigious indoor accolade to his growing list of international achievements, as he now sets his sights on the outdoor season and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Team South Africa’s campaign in Nanjing continues with Prudence Sekgodiso competing in the women’s 800m semifinal tomorrow morning at 06:05 (SA time), following her dominant heat victory earlier on Day 1.
Chris van Niekerk (men’s shot put) and Cheswill Johnson (men’s long jump) are set to compete on Day 3, both scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 13:38 and 13:40 (SA time), respectively.
For More South African Sport News: Sport South Africa Home Page
For More South African Athletics News: Simbine Advances to 60m Semifinals at World Indoor Championships
Sekgodiso Cruises Into 800m Semifinals at World Athletics Indoor Championships
