Gift Leotlela claimed the first Diamond League crown of his career in Shanghai yesterday, as he stormed to a photo-finish victory in the 100m.
Leotlela crossed the line in a season’s best 9.97sec to edge Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala and Kenneth Bednarek of the US, who finished second and third, although both were credited with a time of 9.98.
Trayvon Bromell, another American, was fourth in 10.01, with Australian Lachlan Kennedy fifth, also in 10.01.
And then came Leotlela’s compatriot and defending champion, 32-year-old Akani Simbine, who finished sixth in 10.05, with Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo seventh in 10.12, and American Christian Coleman, the 2019 world champion, eighth in 10.19.
Simbine, also the winner here in 2024, was out of the race from the start, finding himself well off the pace by the time he hit 30 metres, and he didn’t seem to have that trademark extra gear that has seen him home over the second half of this race on many occasions.
For Leotlela, the South African 100m champion, it was only his second victory over Simbine, after beating him in the world championship final in Tokyo last year. The duo ended fifth and seventh in Japan.
Simbine, who produced his 9.98 season’s best at his Simbine Classic in Pretoria a few weeks ago, leads their career head-to-head 5-2, but his last win came in 2021.
Leotlela’s career has been hampered by injuries for the past few years, although he got through 2025 largely unscathed, with only a few niggles.
SA pecking order
It’s too soon to proclaim a changing of the guard in the South African 100m pecking order, but Leotlela’s performance underlines the immense potential of the national men’s 4x100m relay team going forward.
Leotlela, 28, wasn’t part of the under-strength outfit that finished second behind the US at World Relays in Gaborone two weeks ago.
It’s still early in the season, but for what it’s worth, the race saw the three Southern African competitors trumping their US counterparts with a combined 30.14 to 30.18.
The first three African finishers had a more impressive 30.00.
The bulk of the 100m field are scheduled to face off again at the next Diamond League meet in Xiamen on Saturday, where Leotlela will chase a third victory over Simbine.
Also in action on the day will be Zakithi Nene, going up against Botswana’s 400m world champion Collen Kebinatshipi and Zambia’s Olympic bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga.
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