South Africa’s Akani Simbine, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, and USA’s Dalilah Muhammad delivered impressive performances at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, a part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Gaborone on Saturday (12 April).
Tebogo delighted the home fans with a dominant victory in the 200m. Making his season debut in the event after competing in four 400m races, he got a strong start alongside South Africa’s Luxolo Adams but cruised down the home straight, easing up before the finish line to win comfortably in 20.23 (-1.6m/s). Adams finished second in 20.42.
Tebogo is the African record-holder in the 200m, with a time of 19.46 from his Olympic victory in Paris. He is also an Olympic 4x400m silver medalist.
Stronger Finish
Simbine won the 100m. In his first race since winning a 60m bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, Simbine faced pressure from Kenya’s African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala but displayed a stronger finish, pulling ahead in the final meters to win in 9.90 (-1.4m/s). This time is the fastest 100m in the world so far this year. Omanyala finished second in 10.00.
Muhammad, a former world 400m hurdles record-holder and the 2019 World champion, secured a clear victory in the 400m hurdles. In continuing her farewell season, she clocked 53.81 to win ahead of her compatriot Cassandra Tate, who finished in 55.59.