Akani Simbine, Sinesipho Dambile claim Zurich Diamond League silver
Akani Simbine returned to the Diamond League podium alongside Sinesipho Dambile in Zurich, while Bayanda Walaza suffered another injury setback.
South African sprinters Akani Simbine and Sinesipho Dambile each secured silver medals at the Zurich Diamond League meeting on Thursday. However, their night was marred by another injury setback for Bayanda Walaza. Simbine's return to the podium was particularly noteworthy, coming shortly after he was honored as Sports Star of the Year at the 2026 SA Sport Awards.
The national record-holder achieved a 9.98-second time, just 0.01 seconds behind American Christian Coleman in a nail-biting finish. Jamaica's Ackeem Blake placed third with a time of 9.99 seconds. Dambile, meanwhile, continued his consistent performance by finishing second in the men's 200m in 19.82 seconds, just ahead of American Kenny Bednarek who recorded a world-leading 19.62.
This victory bolstered Dambile's position at the top of the Diamond League 200m standings and provided a confidence boost ahead of the series final in Brussels. Dambile emphasized his dedication to improvement, acknowledging that he needs to work on his execution, especially coming out of the curve. The contrasting fortunes of Walaza added a disappointing note to the evening for South Africa.
The young sprinter suffered yet another injury setback in the 100m final, continuing his comeback from a serious hamstring injury. Despite this setback, South Africa can still draw encouragement from the strong performances of Simbine and Dambile, while hoping Walaza's latest setback proves temporary as the Diamond League season approaches its September 4 to 5 final in Brussels.
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