Akani Simbine bounced back to form when finishing a fine second in the men’s 100m final at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich on Thursday night, but for teenager Bayanda Walaza, an injury forced him to pull up just weeks out of the World Championships in Tokyo.
Walaza, the 19-year-old Team SA sensation and one of the 4x100m men’s relay squad who took silver at last year’s Paris Olympics and was named SA Sports Team of the Year, looked to be leading the field at 60m when he was left clutching his hamstring.
As he slowed, Akani Simbine surged through to get to within one-hundredth of a second of American Christian Coleman, who won in 9.97 with Simbine taking second in 9.98.
Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake was third in 9.99 and the third South African Olympian in the final, Shaun Maswanganyi, was seventh in 10.17.
Season finale
Apart from Akani Simbine’s second in the men’s 100m, the other South African on the podium at this Diamond League season finale was javelin thrower Jo-Ane du Plessis.
The Team SA silver medallist from Paris 2024 recorded a throw of 62.26m, in an event won by Greek 2022 European champion Elina Tzengko (64.57m) with Adriana Vilagos (62.96m) in second.
Prudence Sekgodiso was involved in a star-studded women’s 800m final.
Switzerland’s 2022 World U20 silver medallist Audrey Werro clinched her first Diamond League 800m crown in style, running a national record of 1:55.91 in front of a passionate home crowd and holding off a fierce challenge from Great Britain’s Olympic 1 500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell.
Sekgodiso crossed the line in sixth position in 1:58.57.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, Zeney van der Walt finished eighth running in the tough inside lane.
Dutch superstar Femke Bol won in a meeting record 52.18, with Van der Walt crossing the line in 56.90.
Outside of Diamond League finals, but on the night’’s Zurich programme, Rogail Joseph was fifth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 56.00.
What is your favourite athletics event to watch?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
