Akani Simbine made a remarkable comeback in Suzhou near Shanghai, winning his eighth Diamond League 100m title on Saturday night.
The South African sprinter overcame a slow start to pass two former world champions before crossing the line first.
Simbine’s win, in a time of 10.01 seconds, matched his performance at the national championships in Pietermaritzburg last weekend.
He defeated Christian Coleman, the 2019 world champion, by just three-hundredths of a second. Fred Kerley, the 2022 world champion, finished third with a time of 10.11 seconds.
This victory is important for Simbine, coming after a tough period marked by his disqualification for a false start at the semi-finals of the world championships in Budapest last year.
Talking about his win, Simbine said that replicating his recent national performance on the international stage had boosted his confidence immensely, especially as he gears up for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Having consistently performed well at major competitions without clinching a top medal – finishing fourth at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2019 World Championships, and fifth at the 2016 Rio Games and the 2017 and 2022 World Championships – Simbine is more determined than ever to continue building momentum this season.
The champ is hitting his peak at exactly the right time. With the Paris Olympics just three months away, Simbine is focused on securing his first major medal.
Compiled by staff writer
Pictured above: Akani Simbine.
Image source: Shanghai DL/X
