Akani Simbine maintained his remarkable 2025 form when he won the men’s 100m at the Diamond League meeting in Rabat on Sunday. The South African superstar headed to Morocco as the favourite in a strong field, and didn’t disappoint, making it a hat-trick of Diamond League wins this season.
There were a total of 10 South Africans in action. Simbine won the 100m while Zakithi Nene finished second in the 400m and Prudence Sekgodiso also placed second in the 800m.. Four seasonal bests were set by South AFricans – Shaun Maswanganyi in the 100m, Wayde van NIekerk (200m), Sekgodiso (800m) and and Rogail Joseph (400m hurdles).
Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala made a fast start to the 100m with Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo and Fred Kerley sluggishly away. But it was Simbine who found his stride in the middle of the race, passing Omanyala and coming home well in front in 9.95, just outside his season’s best of 9.90.
Omanyala was one-ten of a second (one metre) behind Simbine in second with Kerley taking third in 10.07. Shaun Maswanganyi, a Paris 2024 teammate of Simbine, finished sixth in 10.19. Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo finished last in the 100m race before he withdrew from the 200m.
The USA’s Jacory Patterson produced a sensational finish down the home straight to overhaul long-time leader Nene in the 400m. His time of 44.37 is only 0.04 seconds outside of the Rabat meeting record.
Nene was unlucky but he just didn’t have enough left in the last 10m and clocked a time of 44.46. Olympic champion Quincy Hall was third in 44.90.
The women’s 800m was a battle of the last two world indoor champions, with Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma getting the better of Sekgodiso in a sprint for the line.
Duguma came into the duel as the in-form athlete after setting a blistering world-leading 1:56.64 from the Keqiao Diamond League meeting. The Ethiopian won the blanket finish in a time of 1:57.42, with Sekgodiso following just 0.10 behind her, with Addison Wiley in 1:57.55 for third.
SOUTH AFRICANS IN RABAT ACTION
Men’s 100m: 1st Akani Simbine 9.95, 6th Shaun Maswanganyi 10.19 (SB)
Men’s 200m: 6th Wayde van Niekerk 20.26 (SB), 7th Benjamin Richardson 20.49
Men’s 400m: 2nd Zakithi Nene 44.46
Men’s 1500m: 15th Tshepo Tshite 3:36.22
Women’s 800m: 2nd Prudence Sekgodiso 1:57.52 (SB)
Women’s 400mH: 5th Zeney van der Walt 55.37, 9th Rogail Joseph 57.91 (SB)
Women’s javelin: 5th Jo-Ane van Dyk 59.25m