Okezie powers to personal season’s best in Botswana; Simbine storms to 100m world lead
Reigning African Games 400m champion, Chidi Okezie stormed to a 45.15 personal season’s best to place fourth in the 400m event at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Gaborone on Saturday.
It was the 31 year old Nigerian’s third fastest time ever over the full lap race since he ran 45.06 to win the historic African Games title in Accra, Ghana in March last year and the 44.97 lifetime best he ran three months later (June) to win the 400m title at the Edmonton Athletics Invitational in Edmonton, Canada.
Okezie was raced out of the podium by home boy, Bayapo Ndori who sped to a 44.35 personal season’s best to remain the second fastest in the world over the distance as well as the South African do of Zakithi Nene who ran a new 44.68 personal best and Lythe Pillay, the 2022 World U20 champion who ran 44.97.
In the 100m, little known Fola Olaoye ran a new 10.29 personal best to place fourth in the 100m Final 2. The race was won by South Africa’s Abduraqhmaan Karriem.
In the main 100m final, Akani Simbine raced to a 9.90 world lead to win ahead of reigning Commonwealth Games champion and African record holder (9.77), Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya (10.00).
While the duo secured an automatic passage to September’s 20th World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, it was Simbine’s second defeat of Omanyala in nine head to head clashes and first since May 2023.
