By: Sinethemba Zondi
Akani Simbine put on a stellar display in the relay event following his victory in the 100m dash at the Olympics in Paris, France.
Simbine, 30, one of South Africa’s hopefuls for glory in this competition, claimed the top spot on the podium at Stade de France on Sunday night with a time of 9.82, setting a personal best in the process.
The gold medal went to Noah Lyles from the USA with a time of 9.79, while Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson took silver with a similar time, and Fred Kerley from the USA secured bronze with a time of 9.81.
Simbine, who finished fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympics, surpassed that achievement with a fourth-place finish in Tokyo in 2021.
“It’s a dream come true. No South African has ever reached the podium at three consecutive Olympic Games or finished higher than me in this event. I am proud to represent South Africa in this history-making moment. It means a lot,” Simbine stated while addressing Team SA after the event.
“Even though I may not return with a medal, what I am doing is changing the way sprinting is viewed in South Africa and inspiring the youth.”
Simbine will attempt to rewrite history with the relay team set to kick off their campaign in the 4x100m relay on Wednesday. Expected to join him are Benjamin Richardson and Shaun Maswanganyi, both of whom excelled in the individual 100m event, along with another sprinter from the Paris Games.
“We are not done yet; we will return for the relay race. We have three top-level athletes. Two have excelled in the individual event, and I excelled in the individual event. This is our chance to perform well in the relay, and we will do our best,” he concluded.
The national team clocked a time of 38.08 in the Olympic qualifying event held in the Bahamas in May. Their best time this season was 37.08, achieved in the USA at the World Athletics Relay Championships.
Additionally, national sprinters Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay made the most of their second opportunity to secure a spot in the individual 400m race. Nene impressed with his qualifying time of 44.81, while Pillay also advanced with a time of 45.40. The individual races will start at 7:35 p.m.
