"Yet again"- Olympic medalist Akani Simbine slam Netflix's "Sprint" for overlooking African athletes once again

By Ketaki Pansare

Modified Nov 14, 2024 13:14 GMT

Following the release of Netflix's latest docuseries, Sprint 2, several African sprinters, including Akani Simbine, have stepped up to express their disappointment with it.

South African sprinter Akani Simbine started his journey at the age of 19, moving from football to the track. He made his Olympic debut at Rio 2016 and bagged his first silver medal in the 2024 Olympics in the men's 4x100m relay.

Sprint 2, the recently released docuseries, showcases the leading athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics. It highlights the journey of athletes Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, Julien Alfred, and many others. Some parts show sprinters Letsile Tebogo, Julien Alfred, and Marcell Jacobs, as well.

However, the second season of the series has received criticism from African sprinters for overlooking their achievements on the track.

The South African sprinter Akani Simbine wrote on X (formerly Twitter),

"Another season and yet again Sprint looks over the African story 🤷🏾‍♂️."

Echoing these thoughts, Letsile Tebogo, the Botswanian gold medalist in the men's 200m from the 2024 Olympics, shared his thoughts about the show on X, stating,

"This is an American show."

Meanwhile, speaking with Inside Lane UK, Ivorian athlete Ta Lou Smith said,

"I feel disrespected because when you say you are going to produce a series about fastest sprinters in the world, you should show (feature) everyone, not only those who win."

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Akani Simbine reflects on what's important to him on the track

Akani Simbine at Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 9 - Photo: Getty

Following his silver medal win at the 2024 Olympics, Akani Simbine talked about the importance of the value of action over words in an interview with Inside Track by World Athletics last month.

Akani Simbine said,

"Sprinting is a physical thing that something we do. It's not more talking. I can talk and say I'm gonna beat you, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that, but at the end of the day, what matters, is what happens on the track."

He added that although he finds such trash talk entertaining, he prefers not to take part in it.

Furthermore, talking about the shared dedication with fellow athletes, he added:

"I have a lot of respect who lines up, a ton of respect because I know what you put in, to be here."

He also added,

"I think, My performances and my actual work that I actually put in speak louder than what I would do on social media."

Simbine is the focus of a documentary short called, "A Quiet Force," available to view on the World Athletics website.