Akani Simbine sprints to a world-leading time at Botswana Golden Grand Prix
The World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event at the National Stadium in Gaborone saw the Olympian take on Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala.
FILE: South Africa's Akani Simbine at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo: Jewel SAMAD / AFP
JOHANNESBURG – Akani Simbine confirmed himself as the African king of sprinting by exploding to a new world-leading time in the 100m at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix meeting on Saturday.
The World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event at the National Stadium in Gaborone saw the Olympian take on Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala.
Simbine was put under pressure by the Kenyan, but the South African had a stronger finish, clocking 9.90 for the fastest 100m in the world so far in 2025, and Omanyala was second in 10.00 seconds.
The track and field meet featured athletes from 30 different countries, competing in a total of 20 men's and women's events.
The Olympic silver medallist recently claimed his first-ever individual global medal with a 60m bronze at the World Indoor Championships in China.
The meet is a precursor to the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships in Potchefstroom from 24 to 26 April.
The women’s 100m was won by South Africa’s 17-year-old Hanna Hope Vermaak in 11.44, the same time as runner-up Viwe Jingqi.
Letsile Tebogo eased to a dominant 200m victory on home turf. The Olympic champion cruised to a comfortable 20.23 while South Africa’s Luxolo Adams came in second in 20.42.