September 21, 2025
Sprinting for Belgium: Amine Kasmi
For more than a decade Amine Kasmi had prepared for this moment.
By Adam Greene, for Carson-Newman Athletics
For more than a decade Amine Kasmi had prepared for this moment. An injury setback in January had delayed his South Atlantic Conference season with Carson-Newman, but he was healed, had returned to form and as he eased into the starting blocks of the Men's 200 Meter Final at the Belgian Championships inside King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, all he had in his mind was a number.
A little more than 20 seconds and 200 meters later, Kasmi had achieved it, a new personal record of 20.69, finishing second and not even a step behind first place Simon Verherstraeten, who ran a 20.68.
"As a runner, we're always thinking about a number," Kasmi said. "Before I made it to The (United) States, I was a 20.97 runner. Now I'm at 20.6. I was a 10.5 guy in the 100 (meters) and now I'm a 10.3. So, I definitely have benefited from coming to The States. I've even improved my English. I wasn't speaking English before.
You would never know it from speaking to Kasmi, whose English flows as fast and as smooth as his running style. According to his Carson-Newman's head track and field coach Keiran Showler-Davis it all comes from his focus, on the track, in the classroom and as a teammate for his fellow Eagles runners.
"He (Kasmi) loves track and field and wants to get better," Showler-Davis said. "That was the main reason he came to the U.S. He wanted the environment to improve. In Europe, it can be hard to do your academics and athletics at the same time. He's accountable. Very coachable. He asks a lot of questions. He's always wanting feedback. He can be a quieter guy, but once you get to know him, his personality comes out a lot. He's one of the jokesters on the team once he got comfortable. He's a bubbly guy."
That personality has made Kasmi embrace what he calls the "American Mindset." According to the sixth-year collegian, competitions in Europe, and his relationship with his competitors, is very different than there than in the U.S.
"It is so different from the European one (mindset)," Kasmi said. "The American one has been very helpful. It's on my mind, even when I'm not in The States. I think it's improved me as an athlete for sure. American is open. Friendly and supportive. Everyone helps everybody. We're in competition, but we're still friends. We're all locked in and pushing each other at practice or even in competition. In the conference championships, everyone is behind everybody. Everyone is helping each other. It's a successful mindset."
That successful mindset had Kasmi expanding his race repertoire this season in Europe. Previously, he'd only run the 200 meter event. This year, he also hit the blocks in the 100 meters, finishing third at the Belgian Championships with another personal record, 10.35.
"Usually, I only do the 200 here in Belgium and in the SAC, but this year I thought I'd try it (the 100 meters). I PR'ed again. Last year my time was 10:39 and I'm way happy about this time. I proved to myself I'm fast in the 100, not just the 200."
F
or Showler-Davis, watching one of his athletes compete on the world stage is nothing new. Last year, former C-N sprinter Maka Charamba finished eighth in the 200 Meters at the Paris Olympics running for his native Zimbabwe. Showler-Davis and Kasmi's Belgian coach, Philip Gilson, have very similar coaching styles, which makes the year-round growth of the world-class runner a team effort.
"When I'm in The States, I always keep contact with my coach in Belgium and when I'm here, I message Coach Kieran," Kasmi said. "Both of my coaches are on the same page."
Showler-Davis agrees.
"He (Kasmi) keeps me up to date on everything," Showler-Davis said. "He has a close relationship with his coach in Belgium. He'd do his training and ask for my advice on what races he should do, what events he should do. It was a collaborative effort over the summer. Now that he's coming back before the World Championships, he's going to get back to training at Carson-Newman. There was a level of trust that he would be in good hands in Belgium. We're excited to get him back training here before he heads out to the World Championships and fine-tuning some things so he's in the best form possible."
In Europe, the "student-athlete" is more separate, which is what leads many an international athlete to the campus at Mossy Creek.
When Showler-Davis recruited Kasmi before 2024, he knew that his academics and the community, as well as his development as a world-class sprinter, would both help bring him to Jefferson City.
"I think it's seeing the progression they could potentially make," Showler-Davis said. "They've seen people come through in the past, your Devon Moores, Maka Charumbas, Andre Morrisons, Sipo Boyas, guys like that that made big jumps from the time they arrived to when they finished at Carson-Newman. That's appealing to people. That they can make that next step and in the case of Maka and Amine, they can make their national squads and be very successful at the collegiate level. It's a snowball effect."
Carson-Newman University, its location, its reputation and Showler-Davis sold Kasmi, who before he stepped off his flight from Belgium, had never set foot in the United States before.
"It's on the East side (of the United States) and that makes it easier for us Europeans to travel," Kasmi said. "When I contacted Coach Kieran, I found he was a really nice coach and he's done a good job getting guys to the nationals. I thought he was the man to coach me."
While Kasmi was prepared to work at C-N, the way the culture, student body and community have befriended and supported him has made his time at Mossy Creek truly special.
"It was my first time in The States when I came to Carson-Newman," Kasmi said. "I had no clue about the American people or the culture. I found real family. I've found real friends. I've been surrounded by a good coaching staff. A big part of Carson-Newman is the academics and we're lucky because we have really great teachers. It's been an amazing experience."
Kasmi is the second of four children. The oldest, is sister Sirine (28), with sister Maria (18) not far behind him and younger brother Yasin (15) who plays soccer. His mother, Laila Jemjem, remains his biggest cheerleader and booster, though watching him run is very stressful. Jemjem plans to be in attendance to watch Kasmi get his Carson-Newman diploma in the spring,
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My mom is one of my main supporters," Kasmi said. "She's always behind me and wants me to keep running. Two weeks ago at the Belgium championships she was very quiet and on a corner and when I made it she was so happy. She told me she was trying to stay as quiet as possible."
There could be plenty more for mom to cheer about this season, as Kasmi not only prepares for his final season running in the South Atlantic Conference and NCAA Division II, but also for the World Track and Field Championships in Tokyo, Japan that start on Sep. 13.
Showler-Davis thinks Kasmi's injury in January, a hamstring pull, may turn out to be a springboard to greater things this season. He didn't get the full wear and tear on his body during the track season, which helped him prepare for running in Europe this summer.
"He (Kasmi) has had a very long season. Looking back now, that injury he had back in January could be a little bit of a blessing in disguise," Showler-Davis said. "It's going to be funny when he returns back to campus, everyone else will be starting up training and he'll be trying to hit his peak and training hard."
It's quite the accomplishment for Kasmi, who was spurred to take up track and field by one of his teachers when he was 10 years old.
"Track and field wasn't really popular," Kasmi said. "In middle school one of my teachers said I should try track and field. Ever since, I've been running."
It was when Kasmi was competing at an Under-20 event in Sweden where he figured out that track, especially sprinting, would be the focus of his young life.
"I made it to the championships in Sweden and I decided it was something I really wanted to do," Kasmi said. "I wanted to stay in this sport. When you reach the international stage, you see everything more professional and other athletes. I wanted to be a part of it."
Now that journey has culminated in a chance to run for a World Championship, and one-last go-round wearing the Orange & Blue for the Eagles.
"It'll be busy in September," Kasmi said. "I'll be in The States for two weeks, then have to travel to Japan. I'll have to start my season late, but I am so excited to start my season in indoor (track). It'll be my last season of eligibility and my last run for Carson-Newman so we'll see how it goes.
"I've never made it individually for the NCAA Championships. I've been with the relay, but not individual. I've always missed by one spot or two spots. I want to prove to myself that I can go to Nationals and make something good happen there. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself, but I think this year is going to be great.
We have a great coach and a great group."
Showler-Davis expects just as much from his star sprinter. As a coach and former track athlete himself, he appreciates the work, drive and accomplishments maybe more than most.
"The word is 'proud,' really," Showler-Davis said. "It's awesome to see people in the pinnacle of the sport I love. That's my goal as a coach, to get people to those stages. I'm grateful to play a small part in what they're doing and see them reach those heights. This is what we do it for and, as a kid, it's what you dream of. As a coach, it's fun to see people live out their dreams."
And for Kasmi, that dream comes down to the one thing that's always on his mind — a number.
"If I want to reach the European Championships in 2026, I definitely need to go under 20.5," Kasmi said. "That's something I keep in mind. The most important thing for me is to stay healthy through the season. When we're training, we don't think about injuries. We don't enjoy being healthy and this year I'm trying to stay healthy in indoor and outdoor and try to have fun. I want to take what I've done with Coach Kieran and put it in the competitions."
