Akani Simbine Opens Up on Mental Health Struggles After Back-to-Back Fourth-Place Finishes at Rio & Tokyo Olympics
For most athletes, standing on the Olympic podium represents the pinnacle of a career, the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and sheer determination. For Akani Simbine, the South African sprinter who has long been one of the fastest men on the planet, the dream of an Olympic medal has remained tantalizingly out of reach, despite coming agonizingly close. Simbine’s back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the men’s 100m finals at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics have become defining moments of his career, but not in the way he had hoped.
Now, Simbine is speaking out about the mental toll those near misses have taken on him. In a candid and emotional interview, the 30-year-old opened up about his struggles with mental health, offering insight into the psychological battle that often goes hand-in-hand with elite athletic competition. “People only see the race. They see you coming fourth, and they think that’s the end of the story. But for me, those fourth places were just the beginning of a much harder race — one that I’ve been running in my mind ever since,” Simbine revealed.
The Weight of Expectations
Simbine’s rise in the world of sprinting has been nothing short of meteoric. He burst onto the international scene in 2016, clocking blistering times that made him a legitimate contender for Olympic gold. Going into the Rio Games, expectations were high, both from his home country of South Africa and from himself. He was viewed as a serious threat to break the stranglehold that athletes from the United States and Jamaica had maintained on the sport for years.
But in the final, Simbine found himself just outside the medal positions, finishing fourth in a race won by Jamaica’s Usain Bolt. For any sprinter, especially one as competitive as Simbine, coming so close yet leaving empty-handed was a bitter pill to swallow.
“After Rio, I was devastated, but I told myself that I still had time. That was my first Olympic final, and I thought, ‘Okay, next time I’ll be better prepared, stronger, and I’ll get the medal,’” Simbine said. Little did he know that Tokyo 2020 would bring an eerily similar result.
After a grueling five-year build-up to Tokyo, which included delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Simbine once again found himself in the final of the men’s 100m. Despite being one of the favorites for a podium finish, history repeated itself as Simbine came in fourth — missing out on a medal by mere milliseconds.
The Mental Battle
Simbine’s second fourth-place finish proved to be an emotional breaking point. “I was completely shattered after Tokyo,” he admitted. “I kept asking myself, ‘What more can I do? What am I doing wrong?’ It felt like all the work, all the sacrifices, were for nothing. I started to doubt myself, not just as an athlete but as a person.”
The aftermath of Tokyo triggered a period of intense mental anguish for Simbine, one that he hadn’t experienced after Rio. The pressures of being a high-performance athlete, the weight of national expectation, and the personal desire to succeed had all built up over time, eventually leading to a point where Simbine felt overwhelmed.
He explained that he began to struggle with feelings of inadequacy, fear, and anxiety, particularly when thinking about future competitions. “I would wake up and not want to go to training because I felt like I was never going to achieve what I wanted to. It was a really dark place.”
Simbine also opened up about the societal stigma surrounding mental health, especially in the world of sports, where athletes are often expected to be unbreakable. “There’s this perception that we, as athletes, have to be strong all the time, not just physically but mentally. But the truth is, we’re human too. We have emotions, we have struggles, and sometimes we need help.”
Seeking Help
Recognizing the need to address his mental health struggles, Simbine took a proactive step and sought help. He began working with a sports psychologist who has helped him navigate his emotional challenges and develop tools to cope with the pressure of competition.
“The best decision I made was to talk about it and seek professional help. I realized that I don’t have to carry this weight alone, and that made a huge difference,” Simbine said. He emphasized that mental health support should be normalized for athletes, just as physical therapy and recovery are.
Simbine also found solace in sharing his story with fellow athletes, many of whom have faced similar struggles. “When I opened up, I realized that I’m not alone. So many athletes go through this — the doubts, the fears, the mental fatigue. We’re all fighting our own battles, and it’s okay to admit that.”
A New Perspective
Looking ahead, Simbine says he is gradually finding his way back to the love of the sport that first propelled him to success. While the desire to win an Olympic medal still burns brightly, he is now focused on maintaining a healthier balance between his mental and physical well-being.
“I’ve come to understand that my self-worth isn’t defined by medals. Of course, I want to win, but I’ve learned that there’s more to life than that. I’m still passionate about what I do, but I’m also making sure that I take care of myself mentally.”
As Simbine prepares for the next phase of his career, including a potential run at the Paris 2024 Olympics, he is committed to staying open about his mental health journey in hopes of inspiring others. “If my story can help even one person feel less alone in their struggles, then it’s worth it. We need to start talking about mental health in sports, and we need to support each other.”
For Akani Simbine, the race isn’t over. But this time, he’s running it on his terms, with a stronger mind and a renewed sense of purpose.