Johannesburg – Sprint stars Wayde van Niekerk and Akani Simbine dominated their respective events on Tuesday night, leading the charge for the South Africa contingent in Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Competing at a European Tour Bronze meeting, van Niekerk won his first international race since earning his second 400m world title in August 2017, as he continues to regain momentum after bouncing back from a long-term knee injury.
Simbine was just as impressive in the men’s 100m race, dipping on the line to take the win in 10.02. He edged out Italian athlete Filippo Tortu, who got the runner-up spot in 10.07.
“We are happy with performances all round,” said Aleck Skhosana, the president of Athletics South Africa.
“It’s good to see Wayde returning with a win and Akani continuing where he left off while improving on his time in his win. Ruswahl and Antonio are showing continued focus in their events. We congratulate each athlete, their respective coaches, and support staff. We trust their hard work will soon pay off.”
