Cape Town — Following what can only be described as a stellar performance in the 100m race at the Paris 2024 Olympics, athlete Akani Simbine has been making headlines with his flashy wrist choices, valued at up to $200,000.
According to The South African, the race in question has been noted as one of the biggest highlights of the Olympic season thus far, and despite crossing the finish line in fourth place, the athlete is recognised as one of the world’s most consistent sprinters — a reputation built through his impressive performances in over three major track and field events.
Recently, however, Akine has been making headlines of a different sort, as he was spotted wearing a Richard Mille wristwatch, which has a staggering base price of R3.7 million.
According to reports, the ‘Sprint Van Niekerk’ RM 67-02 watch, named after South Africa’s athletic golden-boy Wayde Van Niekerk, is one of the most coveted pieces from the designer brand. This eye-catching timepiece features a sleek light band strap and a bezel hand-painted in the vibrant colours of our nations flag.
South African sprinter Akani Simbine wears a Richard Millie watch valued at over £200,000 during his races 😲
The RM 67-02 ‘Van Niekerk’ model is named after track and field athlete Wayde van Niekerk and has a unique bezel hand-painted in the colours of the South African flag 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/OfzxyfH5AM
— ESPN Africa (@ESPNAfrica) May 30, 2024
What’s clear, is that the South African sprinter has now joined a host of athletes who have been spotted wearing the watch, suchlike Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger and German tennis player Alexander Zverev.
This latest flex, surprisingly links the sprinter as being part of the Richard Mille family, all at the tender age of 24.
When reflecting on his partnership with the luxury watch company, Akani shared that his goals aligned perfectly with the brand’s ethos, thus he had been led to proudly shake hands with them.
“I am honoured to be a part of the Richard Mille family. Richard Mille strives to be the best, and I strive to be the best at what I do, which is to run extremely fast!” he stated.
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Picture: Instagram/@akani_simbine
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Compiled by Lauren Petersen
