Akani Simbine chats fitness, music and more
Akani Simbine is the golden boy of South African athletics. He specialises in the 100 metres.
The renowned athlete has told GQ that he wanted to be one of the fastest athletes in the world.
Simbine has so far lived his dream as he was the fifth-fastest athlete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's 100 metres. He was also the 100 metres African record holder with a time of 9.84 seconds set in July 2021, however, Ferdinand Omurwa broke his record (his time: 9.77 seconds) in September 2021.
Simbine has finished inside the top five in the last four major championship 100m races, including 4th in the men's 100m event at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Simbine chats to GQ about his fitness routine, music and more.
GQ: Congratulations on your recent 4 x 100m win with Team South Africa at the World Athletics Relays in Silesia, Poland. Talk us through how that race unfolded?
Akani Simbine: I didn’t see what was happening in the race until the third changeover because I was too busy focussing on what I needed to do once I got the baton from Clarence [Munyai].
I saw the Brazilians were marginally ahead of us, and I said to myself, ‘You can beat this guy. Just chase him down.’
GQ: You’ve dipped under 10 seconds a few times over the past year, but you’re up against stiff competition if you want to be the fastest man in the world. What have you been doing to get faster? How have you addressed your weaknesses over the 100m?
AS: It happens so quickly your race must be complete, faultless from making sure your block clearance [a weakness he’s been working on] is 100% to accelerating through the middle phase to your top-end speed after 80m. I listen to my coach. I also see my shortcomings not as weaknesses but as opportunities to improve.
GQ: You’re from Tembisa in Joburg. Describe your childhood?
AS: I grew up in a section called Sthama, but my parents encouraged me to go for my dreams despite the fact we didn’t have much. They taught me as long as you appreciate the little things, you can make a lot out of what you have.
GQ: Have you had to change how you dress now you're in the spotlight? What or who influences your style?
AS: I haven’t had to – and, besides, I think I dressed pretty well before! What influences my style is being comfortable yet looking good.
My outfit also has to make sense: my fiancée Jo always says I wear black from head to legs, but then my shoes are bright or funky colours, or I’ll do the opposite. So, my personality shows, either in my shoes or my shirt.
GQ: Do you listen to music when you run?
AS: I do when I’m warming up. Local artists I admire are Stogie T, Frank Casino and Black Coffee.
- Squat: Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart, lower yourself down as if you’re sitting in a chair, bracing your core muscles, then straighten your legs to lift back up.
- Clean: Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart, squat down and lift the bar to standing, drive your hips up and forwards as you straighten your legs and fully extend your hips, and then drop your body under the
- Box jumps: Stand facing a box on the balls of your feet, swing your arms over your head, bend your knees and push your hips back into a hinge position, swing your arms behind you, and then explode off the floor, landing softly in a half-squat on the box.
This article was taken from the GQ magazine July/ August 2021 issue