Akani Simbine Akani Simbine was just too good for Ferdinand Omanyala in Gaborone on Saturday. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
If there was still any doubt, Akani Simbine destroyed it in confirming that he is the African king of sprinting by exploding to a new world-lead time in the 100 metres at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix meeting on Saturday.
The World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event at the National Stadium in Gaborone saw South Africa’s Olympic relay silver medallist Simbine square off with his great Kenyan rival, Ferdinand Omanyala.
The latter has won most of their duels over the years, and also holds the African record of 9.77 seconds, with Simbine’s SA mark standing at 9.82.
Omanyala was quickest out of the blocks on Saturday, and maintained an edge for the first 60 metres or so.
But then Simbine – who claimed his first ever individual global medal with a 60m bronze at the recent world indoor championships in China – put his foot down and gradually made his way past Omanyala.
The 31-year-old Simbine was well clear of the 29-year-old Kenyan with about 10 metres to go, and was a body-length ahead at the finish line to clock a superb 9.90 – the fastest time in the world this year, ahead of SA teen sensation Bayanda Walaza’s 9.99, and into a head wind of -1.4m/s.
Simbine took in the acclaim from the boisterous Gaborone crowd, and was also congratulated by Omanyala, who was second in 10 seconds flat, with another South African in Retshidisitswe Mlenga third in a solid 10.15.
In the 100m B race, 20-year-old Cape Town star Abduraghmaan Karriem clocked a sensational new personal best of 10.07 to clinch victory, eclipsing his previous mark of 10.22.
Simbine’s performance was impressive, considering that it is the early stages of his outdoor season, with the main goal being September’s world championships in Tokyo.
But it is clear that all the hard work in his first ever indoor season has paid off, and he will hope to build on this performance at the SA championships in Potchefstroom from April 24-26.
Simbine’s display was undoubtedly the best of the entire Botswana meeting, as home-town Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo clocked a pedestrian time of 20.23 to win the half-lap race ahead of SA’s Luxolo Adams (20.42).
Another South African in Sinesipho Dambile clocked an excellent personal best of 20.01 to win the 200m B race, going significantly faster than his previous 20.28 mark.
SA men’s 400m pair Zakithi Nene (44.68) and Lythe Pillay (44.97) warmed up for the national championships with sub-45-second times to trail behind Botswana winner Bayapo Ndori’s strong 44.35.
In the 400m hurdles, 17-year-old Tuks High School student Njabulo Mbatha produced a wonderful new personal best of 49.06 to hold off Kenya’s Mukhobe Wiseman (49.07) for a stunning victory.
Kyle Blignaut finished third in the men’s shot put with a solid effort of 20.34m, behind Italians Zane Weir (20.83m) and Leonardo Fabbri (20.64m).
On the women’s front, Olympic silver medallist Jo-Ané du Plessis (née Van Dyk) began her 2025 season in fine style with a decent 61.23m throw to win the javelin competition.
Olympic 400m hurdles semi-finalists Zeney Geldenhuys (56.10) and Rogail Joseph (58.74) were well off the pace of American winner Dalilah Muhammad (53.81), while Miranda Coetzee was second in the 400m flat (51.10).
Karmen Fouché also claimed second spot in the long jump with a 6.51m leap.