Nene third in Poland; Leotlela, Simbine in fast 100m final

Zakithi Nene held his form to hold on for third place in the 400m at the Diamond League meet in Silesia on Sunday afternoon, where countryman Gift Leotlela and Akani Simbine contributed to a record lightning 100m contest.

Nene, who has run out of gas on the home straight a couple of times this season, had enough juice to hold off American Jacory Patterson by four-hundredths of a second.

Nene crossed the line in 44.37, well behind Botswana’s world champion Collen Kebinatshipi, who went 43.59 to demolish Wayde van Niekerk’s meet record.

🚨 🇧🇼 MEET RECORD 🇧🇼 🚨 Collen Kebinatshipi 🇧🇼 wins the men’s 400m at the Silesia Diamond League in 43.59s MR! 2nd Rai Benjamin 🇺🇸 in a massive 43.83s PB! 3rd Zakithi Nene 🇿🇦 in 44.37s pic.twitter.com/9Z3Sw5bZj3

American Benjamin Rai, the Olympic 400m hurdles champion, dipped under 44 seconds for the first time in his career, crossing the line in 43.83.

Leotlela and Simbine produced their best running in the heats to advance to the 100m final, where they ended fifth and seventh.

Jamaica’s world champion Oblique Seville won the final in 9.83sec ahead of Americans Kenneth Bednarek (9.87) and Christian Coleman (9.93).

Kayinsola Ajayi was fourth in 9.94, with Leotlela fifth in 9.95 and Simbine two spots behind in 9.96.

Oblique Seville 🇯🇲 clocks 9.90s (+1.9) to win his 100m heat at the Silesia Diamond League! 2. Gift Leotlela 🇿🇦 9.92 3. Akani Simbine 🇿🇦 9.93 (SB) 4. Christian Coleman 🇺🇸 9.94 5. Ronnie Baker 🇺🇸 9.94 pic.twitter.com/jTjjeZONfH

Cameroon’s Commonwealth Games champion Emmanuel Eseme was the final ninth man over the line in 9.99.

The 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics was the first time all eight sprinters had dipped under 10; this was the first time nine had done it.

Earlier in the heats, Leotlela and Simbine had finished second and third behind Seville in the fastest of the two eliminators.

Seville clocked 9.90, but Leotlela was close behind in 9.92 and Simbine in a 9.93 season’s best.