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Competing in a Bronze meeting of the European Tour, Van Niekerk won his first international race since winning his second 400m world title in August 2017.
Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk celebrates his victory in the 400m event in Bellinzona, Switzerland, on September 15, 2020. Image: @ WaydeDreamer / Twitter
JOHANNESBURG – Sprint stars Wayde van Niekerk and Akani Simbine dominated their respective events Tuesday night, leading the charge from the South African contingent in Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Competing in a Bronze European Tour meet, Van Niekerk won his first international race since winning his second 400m world title in August 2017, while continuing to regain momentum after recovering from a long-term knee injury.
The world record holder completed the one-lap race with a season-best 45.58, with Dutch national champion Jochem Dobber taking second place at 45.78.
Simbine was equally impressive in the men’s 100-meter race, diving down the line to claim victory at 10.02. He edged out Italian athlete Filippo Tortu, who took second place at 10.07.
In the long jump, Ruswahl Samaai took the lead in the second round and extended his lead with a jump of 8.04 meters in the third round. While the African champion looked poised to secure victory, Finland’s Kristian Pulli nonetheless produced a 8.08m jump in his last attempt to get Samaai into second place.
“We are happy with the performances overall,” said Aleck Skhosana, President of Athletics South Africa. “It’s good to see Wayde come back with a win and Akani pick up where he left off while improving his time in his win. Ruswahl and Antonio are showing continued focus on their events. Congratulations to each athlete, their respective coaches and support staff. We are confident that your hard work will soon pay off. “
Another African champion, Antonio Alkana, held on to secure third place in the 110-meter hurdles race. Alkana crossed the line at 13.40, cutting 0.13 off the best of his season.
Meanwhile, Simbine and Alkana will look forward to a speedy recovery as they prepare to hit the court again at the Diamond League match in Rome, Italy on Thursday. Simbine lines up in the 100-meter and Alkana enters the blocks in the 110-meter hurdles race, while compatriot Zane Weir will make his Diamond League debut in the men’s shot put.
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