Akani Simbine flaunts his form with 9.86 season’s best on the eve of Olympics

Experienced sprinter Akani Simbine made a statement on Saturday, showcasing his form on the eve of the Paris Olympics by grabbing the runner-up spot in the men’s 100m race at the Diamond League meeting in London.

Simbine clocked 9.86 seconds, finishing just 0.05 behind world champion Noah Lyles of the United States, who won the race in 9.81 (the third fastest time in the world this season). Letsile Tebogo equalled his Botswana national record of 9.88 in third position.

The 30-year-old South African ran his fastest time of the 2024 campaign, crossing the line a whisper outside his own national record of 9.84.

He also equalled the quickest time by a South African this year, after 20-year-old compatriot Benjamin Richardson stopped the clock at 9.86 in Switzerland last week.

Medal contenders

Richardson will join Simbine as part of the national 4x100m relay team at the Paris Games, where the SA squad will be chasing a medal.

Simbine, who has won two Diamond League races this year, will also fancy his chances of stepping on the podium in the individual 100m event in the French capital, after finishing fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and fourth at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

The men’s 100m heats at the multi-sport showpiece in Paris will be held in two weeks’ time, on Saturday 3 August.