South Africa’s Akani Simbine delivered an outstanding performance to win the men’s 100m at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series in Gaborone, Botswana on Saturday.
Competing in his first 100m race of the season, world indoor 60m bronze medallist Simbine, clocked a world-leading 9.90 seconds into a -1.4m/s headwind to secured victory ahead of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, the African record holder, who came in second with a time of 10.00 seconds.
Elsewhere on the track, 17-year-old Hanna Hope Vermaak edged out compatriot Viwe Jingqi to win the women’s 100m in a photo finish, with both athletes timed 11.44 (-0.2m/s).
In the men’s 200m B race, Sinesipho Dambile also delivered a remarkable performance, winning in 20.01 (-1.8m/s) and breaking his previous personal best of 20.37.
Dambile’s time was 0.22 seconds faster than Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who won the 200m A race in 20.23 (-1.6m/s) ahead of South Africa’s Luxolo Adams, who finished second in 20.42.
South Africa’s Njabulo Mbatha, 17, achieved an impressive victory in the men’s 400m hurdles, setting a new personal best time of 49.07 seconds.
Olympic silver medalist Jo-Ane du Plessis triumphed in the women’s javelin throw with a 61.27m effort, fending off a challenge from Andrea Zelezna of the Czech Republic, who threw the javelin 60.88m.
Watch Race Video – Akani Simbine clocks 9.90 in Gaborone
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