The first evening of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League Final delivered world-class performances at the Allianz Memorial van Damme in Brussels on Friday night. Team South Africa featured heavily across the sprint disciplines, highlighted by a dominant pre-program victory from para-athletics star Puseletso Michael Mabote, while three of the nation’s top senior sprinters tested themselves against elite fields in the main program.
With the Friday action wrapped up, the focus now shifts to Saturday night, where the remaining South African contenders will hunt for Diamond Trophies in the 200m and 800m finals.
Mabote Continues Award-Winning Form
Fresh off being crowned the Sportsman of the Year with a Disability at the recent SA Sport Awards, Puseletso Michael Mabote set the tone for the evening by winning the pre-program Men’s 100m T63 invitational race.
Running in Lane 4, the 21-year-old international para-athletics sensation showcased his explosive acceleration, reacting sharply (0.161) to cross the finish line first in 12.12 seconds. He held off a strong challenge from the Netherlands’ Joel de Jong, who took second in 12.35 seconds, with Noah Mbuyamba (NED) finishing a distant third in 13.19. Mabote’s victory in Belgium is another feather in the cap for the African record holder, reinforcing his status as a premier global talent in the T63 classification.
Fierce Competition in the Men’s 100m and 400m Finals
In the highly anticipated Men’s 100m final, Gift Leotlela and Akani Simbine lined up against a stacked field of international heavyweights. The race was claimed by Jamaican world number one Oblique Seville, who stormed to victory in 9.90 seconds, holding off Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (9.93) and Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi (9.97).
Leotlela produced a highly competitive run to finish fifth, stopping the clock at 10.01 seconds. In a dramatic dash to the line, Leotlela narrowly edged out American former world champion Christian Coleman (10.01) by just three thousandths of a second (10.004 to 10.007). Simbine followed closely, crossing the line in seventh position with a time of 10.03 seconds in a race where the margins were razor-thin across the entire field.
In the Men’s 400m final, Zakithi Nene faced a blisteringly fast pace set by Botswana’s rising star Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, who secured the Diamond League title in a meeting and national record time of 43.40 seconds. Nene crossed the line in sixth place with a time of 44.44 seconds. Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards took second (43.68), while America’s Jacory Patterson secured third (43.78) in a race that saw four of the top five men post either personal or national bests.
Saturday Preview: Dambile and Sekgodiso Chase Diamond Glory
The Diamond League Final concludes on Saturday, September 5, with two of South Africa’s most consistent performers this season stepping onto the track in pursuit of the ultimate series prize.
Men’s 200m – 20:44 SA Time
Sinesipho Dambile enters the Men’s 200m final looking to cap off a remarkable international campaign. After securing silver in both Zurich and Lausanne, Dambile will face a formidable lineup that features the two men who have set the standard this year: American Kenny Bednarek and Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo. Fellow African contender Makanakaishe Charamba of Zimbabwe will also line up, ensuring a tactical and high-speed half-lap showdown.
Women’s 800m – 21:39 SA Time
Newly crowned SA Female Athlete of the Year Prudence Sekgodiso will close out South Africa’s participation in Brussels when she takes on the Women’s 800m final. Having shattered her personal best with a 1:56.83 in Paris earlier this season, Sekgodiso will battle against Switzerland’s Audrey Werro and the Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol in what promises to be an aggressive, fast-paced tactical race to the finish.
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