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SA’s Gift Leotlela shines bright like a Diamond in Shanghai opener

Adnaan MohamedNewsLeave a Comment on SA’s Gift Leotlela shines bright like a Diamond in Shanghai opener
Adnaan Mohamed

South African sprinter Gift Leotlela produced a major statement at the opening meeting of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League season after storming to victory in the men’s 100m in Shanghai on Saturday.

Leotlela clocked 9.97 seconds in a race decided by the narrowest of margins, with the top three separated by hundredths of a second in a dramatic photo finish.

Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala took second in 9.98 after being added late to the field, while American sprinter Kenny Bednarek matched that time for third place.

It marked the first Diamond League victory of Leotlela’s career and continued a strong rise for the South African, who carried a personal best of 9.87 into the meeting.

“It means a lot to win my first-ever Diamond League,” Leotlela said afterwards.

“It is a first time in China for me, so to finish number one was a great feeling. I wanted to come here and enjoy myself and make a good start to the season.”

Leotlela said he focused more on execution than the clock in a field packed with proven international performers.

“I knew I am in great shape, but I didn’t want to think about time, just focus on my race. I had a decent start, not great. I just tried to keep my composure, stay in my rhythm and stay strong.”

The performance will strengthen belief that Leotlela can challenge consistently on the global stage this season, particularly with major championships looming later in the year.

“The main goal for me in 2026 is to win the Commonwealth Games and then on to the Ultimate Championships at the end of the season,” he said.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine finished sixth in 10.05, while Botswana Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo crossed seventh in 10.12 after balancing 100m and 400m races earlier this season.

The 2026 Wanda Diamond League season continues in Xiamen on 23 May before travelling to stops including Rome, Paris, London and Zurich ahead of the final in Brussels on 4 and 5 September 2026.

2026 Wanda Diamond League Fixtures

  • May 23: Xiamen
  • May 31: Rabat
  • June 4: Rome
  • June 7: Stockholm
  • June 10: Oslo
  • June 19: Doha
  • June 28: Paris
  • July 4: Eugene
  • July 10: Monaco
  • July 18: London
  • August 21: Lausanne
  • August 23: Silesia
  • August 27: Zurich
  • September 4–5: Brussels (Final)

Source: diamondleague.com/

Team South Africa’s Sunday Results

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Team South Africa’s Sunday Results

Sunday was a busy day for Team SA, featuring events in athletics, cycling, and golf.  Star sprinter Akani Simbine reached the final of the men’s 100m when he won his semi-final in an impressive 9.87sec, He then went even faster for a lifetime best 9.82, but had to settle for fourth, for the second successive Games.

Athletics:
Men’s 100m, Semi Finals & Final
South African sprinter Akani Simbine reached the men’s 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning his semi-final with an impressive time of 9.87 seconds. In the final, he achieved a personal best of 9.82 seconds, finishing fourth for the second consecutive Games. Simbine had been the fifth fastest qualifier after his semi-final win and a recent 9.86-second run in London. He had predicted that a sub-9.80 time would be necessary to win gold. 

Long Jump Qualification:
Jovan van Vuuren’s leap of 7.70m was unfortunately not enough to be in the top 12 distances to qualify for the next round. Cheswill Johnson was also not able to get through to the next round, with a jump of 4.49m.

Women’s 400m Hurdles – Round 1
Rogail Joseph ran a personal best time in her heat, finishing 2nd. She automatically qualifies for the semi-final on Tuesday, 6 August.

Zeney Geldenhuys finished third in her heat, achieving automatic qualification for the semi-final on Tuesday, 6 August..

Men’s 400m Round 1
Lythe Pillay finished his race in 7th position, which was not enough for automatic qualification for the semi-final. He will run in the repechage race on Monday, 5 August.

Zakhiti Nene finished 4th in his race, which was one position outside of the automatic qualification for the semi-final.
He too will be running in the repechage race on Monday, 5 August.

Men’s 100m Semi Finals
Shaun Maswanganyi finished 5th in his semi-final heat, achieving a season-best time. However, his position and time were not good enough to qualify for the final.

Benjamin Richardson ran a time below 10 seconds, clinching 3rd position. His position and time were also not enough for him to qualify for the final.

Women’s 800m Semi Final
Prudence Sekgodiso finished 2nd in her heat, gaining automatic qualification for the final. The final will be run on Monday, 5 August.

Golf: Individual Stroke Play – Round 4
Final results: Christiaan Bezuidenhout finished in 16th position overall on 10 under par, shooting -2 on the final day. Erik van Rooyen finished in 17th position on 9 under par, shooting -1 on Sunday. Eventual winner, Scottie Scheffler, finished at -19, shooting -9 on the day.

Cycling: Women’s Road Race
Ashleigh Moolman Pasio finished the race in 33rd position, while Tiffany Keep did not manage to finish the race.