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Sub-10s king Akani Simbine has been tippped to win gold at 2025 World Championships. Photo: Imago

South Africa’s Akani Simbine has been in great form this season and a former US sprinter believes the 2025 World Championship gold is his for the taking.

Akani Simbine has been termed the man to beat in 100m at the 2025 World Championships by a former American sprinter.

 

Former US sprinter Monzavous Edwards, popularly known as Raes Take by fans online, has been left in awe of Simbine’s red hot form and feels no other athlete will come close to him at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo in September.

 

Simbine has remained unbeaten in 2025 while he has five sub-10 performances from six 100m races this season as well as winning all the three Diamond League races he has featured in in Xiamen, Shanghai and Rabat.

 

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Despite the threat posed by Americans such as world champion Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek, Jamaicans, led by Olympics silver medalist Kishane Thompson, Edwards firmly believes Simbine is the gold medal front runner in Tokyo.

 

 

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Akani Simbine is having a dream outdoor season so far being undefeated. Photo. Imago

“Right now, he is the gold medal front runner. Damn what he ain’t done before. He’s making the least amount of mistakes in his races while they [are] looking average,” Edwards pointed out via a post on X.

 

“Kishane [Thompson] keeps pulling out so he ain’t working on being race sharp. Fred [Kerley] is struggling majorly in his race pattern and mechanics. And don’t give me that Noah [Lyles] bs cause he ain’t even ran yet for me to judge. Don’t give a damn what he did last year.

 

“You can’t beat talent and mechanics with just talent. They [are] trying to beat him [Simbine] off speed right now and judging him off the runner he used to be, he [is] beating them off of race strategy and mechanics and they ain’t paying attention to the runner he’s become.

 

“He looks the best right now. If they don’t fix they sh*t by worlds [World Championships], he gone finally get what he been after. It ain’t cause he’s faster, he’s more disciplined and polished.”

 

Soufiane El Bakkali Dominates 3000m Steeplechase Field on Home Soil to Clinch Rabat Diamond League Title

Soufiane El Bakkali Dominates 3000m Steeplechase Field on Home Soil to Clinch Rabat Diamond League Title

It is a big claim for Simbine whose best performance at the World Championships is fourth place at the 2019 edition in Doha.

 

Femke Bol has outlined her strategy and mentality for the 2025 season as she prepares for the impossible – taking the 400mH crown off Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s head.

Femke Bol has delved into her preparations for the upcoming Tokyo World Championships following her commanding 400m hurdles win at the Rabat Diamond League classic with one eye on dethroning Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

 

Bol has started her season like a house on fire. In Rabat, she secured victory in the event in commanding fashion with a blistering 52.46 run.

 

Last season, the Dutch Star settled for Bronze at the Paris Olympic games, finishing behind Anna Cockrell and McLaughlin-Leverone, who shattered the world record in the event for a stunning sixth time in her career.

 

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Speaking to Flo Track after winning in Rabat, Bol explains how she executes her races in a way that allows her to create a considerable gap on her rivals.

 

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“I think with hurdles, I always focus on my own hurdles,” Bol explains. “Of course you feel people around you, but if you focus too much on them—we’re all running a different stride—so it doesn’t work out.”

 

It’s a strategy rooted in discipline and self-awareness, especially critical when your main rival is none other than world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Leverone. But Bol isn’t getting distracted. She’s focused on her growth, one race at a time.

 

 

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“I just want to become a better athlete every time I’m on the track,” she says. “I want to push myself even further.”

 

Even when she’s in the lead, Bol never allows herself to coast. She imagines competition breathing down her neck.

 

“I always have the feeling they’re right behind me, so I always push as much as I can,” she adds. “And with a great atmosphere, it helps a lot the last part.”

 

That mindset will be critical as the road to Tokyo heats up. With the 2025 World Championships on the horizon—and the Olympic Games looming not long after—Bol knows her biggest challenges lie ahead.

 

 

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“I think still all roads lead to Tokyo,” she affirmed. “I want to be at my best there. It’s great to start it like this, but it’s just the beginning.”

 

She’s not rushing the process. With over three months until the World Championships, Bol is staying patient, steady, and laser-focused.

 

“I have three and a half, four months before Worlds, so there I want to be at my best. But this is a great start.”

 

Canadian star seeks 1st Grand Slam Track short distance title in Philadelphia

 

 

Canadian middle-distance runner Marco Arop crosses the finish line in one minute 43.69 seconds in the men’s 800 metres during the Grand Slam Track Miami at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida on May 3, 2025.

Canada’s Marco Arop will aim for his third consecutive 800-metre victory in the Grand Slam Track league on Saturday in Philadelphia. He clocked 1:43.69 on May 3 at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Fla., pictured. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images via Reuters)

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Years before Marco Arop ran 800 metres to a 2023 world championship gold medal and Olympic silver the next year, he was a 400-metre sprinter and could be spotted red-lining, or pushing his body to its maximum effort, during high school workouts in Edmonton.

 

But he had zero sense of pace.

 

“If coach gave me three 400m [intervals] I would go all-out in the first one and struggle through the next two,” Arop recalled during a break in training while preparing to race the 800 and 1,500 at Grand Slam Track this Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia.

 

Arop would eventually understand his limits that enabled him to push through pain.

 

Most successful track and field athletes don’t shy away from the pain of training, but Arop understands the pain pushes him a step closer to his ultimate goals, according to his coach.

 

“It means he’s determined and committed to the craft, and he is not going to let anything get in his way,” said Chris Woods, who has worked with Arop since becoming head track and field coach at Mississippi State University in 2019.

 

The 26-year-old Arop can buffer lactic acid, or hurt longer and more, than anyone Woods has seen in 12 years at MSU.

 

 

 

Canada’s Marco Arop wins 800m at Grand Slam Track Miami

 

 

Edmonton’s Marco Arop, the reigning 800-metre world champion, captures his straight Grand Slam Track victory in his signature event. Great Britain’s Josh Kerr claims the men’s short distance title at the Grand Slam Track stop in Miramar, Fla., and Arop finishes second overall.

Woods, who began coaching at the U.S. collegiate level in 2009, has guided several track standouts, including four-time Canadian 800m champion Brandon McBride, but none like Arop.

 

“He’s a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. The way Marco can recover between fast, long and hard intervals, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Woods told CBC Sports. “My best educated guess is it’s genetics and his upbringing.”

 

48-second 400m run

To illustrate his point, Woods cited one of Arop’s recent workouts at MSU.

 

It consisted of broken runs of 700m (500/200), 600m (400/200) and 500m (300/200) that included a 48-second run in the 400.

 

“For me, that’s just another day at the track,” Arop told Toronto sprinter Aaron Brown and two-time Canadian Olympic hurdler Perdita Felicien for CBC Sports’ Trackside show. “This [was] the first race pace workout [I’ve] done this year. I’m used to seeing those times in training, but it’s cool to see the reactions [from others].

 

“To run [one minute 41 seconds over 800 metres], and potentially faster, [I] have to be able to run fast paces on short recovery.”

 

All Grand Slam Track events will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca and on CBC Gem. For a full broadcast schedule of athletics events this season, click here.

 

“In the middle of that workout,” Woods told CBC Sports, “he was running paces that would add up to a 1:36 800m run. In no way am I suggesting he would cover 800 in that time. It just shows how long he can hold paces such as that with minimal rest.”

 

Talk of David Rudisha’s seemingly untouchable 1:40.91 world record only grew louder when Arop ran a 1:41.20 personal best in the Olympic final last Aug. 10 to finish 1-100th of a second behind Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi in Paris.

 

“It’s been a goal of mine since I started running. That was the first race I watched before I did my first high school 800,” Arop told Brown and Felicien.

 

“Watching David Rudisha run that world record inspired me to get to that level. Now that I’m knocking on the door, it’s really cool and a testament to all the work that’s been put in. I got to give a lot of credit to my coaches because without their belief, I don’t think I would be near where I am now.

 

“To get to 1:39,” continued Arop, “that’s going to be another level, so that’s the next step.”

 

 

 

Marco Arop: ‘Only a matter of time’, before he breaks 800m world record

 

 

The Olympic silver medallist on his experience with Grand Slam Track so far and the pursuit of David Rudisha’s 800m world record.

1,500m to test fatigue in legs

In Philadelphia, Arop will aim for his first Slam title in three attempts after his combined point totals from the 800 and 1,500 placed him second in the short distance group in Jamaica last month and Miami on May 3.

 

After racing the 1,500 first at those events, the 800 will be contested first on Saturday at 4:57 p.m. ET, followed by the 1,500 Sunday at 5:01 p.m.

 

“That will be a new experience,” said Arop, who has raced on back-to-back days in his career but not in different distances. “I’m confident in my ability to race the 800 with fatigue in my legs. I’m not sure what the 1,500 is going to feel like [fatigue-wise].”

 

Arop, who is using the Slam competitions as training for various aspects of his races, believes racing the 1,500 helps him stay consistent and deliver better finishes in the 800.

 

“I’m probably the strongest I’ve been [in my career]. My early [season] fitness is the best I’ve seen and [I’m] touching on the speed work now [in training] so I’m excited where it’s going to take me,” he said.

 

 

Added Woods: “Running the 1,500, in theory, will make him a more well-rounded middle-distance athlete. By the end of the season, I believe fans will see a middle-distance athlete that’s in the lower 1:40s in the 800m and the lower 3:30s, if not 3:20s, in the 1,500.

 

“He’ll be a very dangerous runner when that happens.”

 

The final stop of the Grand Slam Track season is June 27-29 in Los Angeles.

 

Arop will race there before joining the Diamond League professional track and field circuit. He is scheduled to race in Monaco (July 11) London (July 19) and possibly Lausanne, Switzerland (Aug. 20).

 

 

 

Cole Hocker, the reigning Olympic 1,500-meter champion and one of America’s most exciting middle-distance talents, is set to make his long-awaited debut at Franklin Field as part of the prestigious Grand Slam Track meet. The announcement marks a major highlight in this year’s track and field calendar, drawing fans and athletes alike to the historic stadium in Philadelphia.

 

Hocker, who stunned the world with his fearless performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where he surged past seasoned veterans to claim gold, has quickly become a household name in American athletics. Known for his explosive finishing kick, tactical race intelligence, and unshakable composure under pressure, Hocker represents a new era of U.S. middle-distance dominance.

 

Franklin Field, the oldest stadium still operating for football and track events in the United States, has seen legends pass through its gates since its opening in 1895. But Hocker’s appearance at this year’s Grand Slam Track meet will be his first, adding a fresh chapter to the venue’s rich sporting legacy. The event, which has traditionally drawn top-tier athletes from around the globe, is expected to be electric with Hocker’s presence.

 

“I’ve always wanted to race at Franklin Field,” Hocker said in a recent interview. “It’s one of those iconic places where history seems to echo in the stands. To be part of that story and to do it at a meet like Grand Slam Track is something I’m really looking forward to.”

 

For fans and fellow athletes, Hocker’s debut is more than just another race — it’s a chance to witness greatness in the making. Still only in his early 20s, Hocker’s rapid rise from NCAA champion at Oregon to Olympic gold medalist has been nothing short of meteoric. His performances are characterized by a maturity beyond his years and a signature calm that belies the intensity of the competition.

 

The 1,500-meter field at Grand Slam Track is expected to be highly competitive, with several international stars confirmed to race. Still, all eyes will likely be on Hocker, whose tactical brilliance and crowd-pleasing style have endeared him to a growing fanbase. Race organizers anticipate a full house and a nationwide broadcast, amplifying the significance of the meet for the sport’s continued popularity in the U.S.

 

Hocker’s training leading up to the meet has reportedly gone well, with his camp focusing on sharpening race pace and closing speed. His coach emphasized that the Grand Slam Track appearance is not only a competitive milestone but also part of a carefully planned buildup toward the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where Hocker hopes to defend — or reclaim — his title on the global stage.

 

In an era where track and field is fighting for visibility amid a crowded sports landscape, athletes like Cole Hocker are crucial to the sport’s resurgence. His Franklin Field debut is more than a race; it’s a symbol of the sport’s enduring appeal and a nod to its glorious past — with a look toward a bright future.

 

For those attending Grand Slam Track or watching from home, Hocker’s debut promises to be a memorable moment — one that blends athletic excellence with the timeless magic of a truly iconic venue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Unfazed By Slow Start to 2025

Despite a slow start and recent setbacks, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce remains confident that her best performances are still ahead this season.

Jamaican sprint queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is not stopping at anything despite her slow start to the 2025 season.

 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce started her season at the Velocity Fest #17, where she won the women’s 100m heats before proceeding to the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China.

 

In China, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce competed in the second leg of Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m relay, where the women finished second in the heats and secured a bronze medal in the final.

 

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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce then made a grand return to the Diamond League, where she competed in Doha, finishing fourth in the race. The Clayton twins, Tina and Tia, came in first and second, with Great Britain’s Amy Hunt rounding up the podium.

 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: The Best is Yet to Come

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Despite the fourth-place finish, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has expressed confidence that this season will be one for the books, insisting that there is more to come.

 

The 10-time world champion revealed that her body is responding well to training and she has great things in store for her fans.

 

 

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Her main focus will be to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, meaning she has to go one place better than the rich talent in Jamaica at the moment.

 

The likes of Shericka Jackson and the Clayton twins will be in the mix at the Jamaican Championships, also looking to secure a ticket to the global showpiece.

 

“I believe that this season will be one of my greatest seasons yet, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities that I get to race and the competition, and I’m looking forward to celebrating this year in fine style,” Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce said in a video shared by Television Jamaica.

 

 

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“As an athlete, I know my body, I know how I feel and what I’m looking forward and I’m excited for where I’m at and looking forward to having a great season.”

 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce remains one of the most iconic sprinters who has defied age to continue pushing at 38.

 

Fraser-Pryce will be looking to make up for all the losses she endured in the 2024 season, especially pulling out of the Paris Olympic Games. She clocked 10.92 seconds to settle for second in the heats but did not start in the semifinal, ending her campaign.