Shanghai – Three South African athletes shone with bronze medals at the the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on Saturday.
Led by Akani Simbine’s third place in a high profile men’s 100m race, it was a good day for the SA athletes.
Ruswahl Samaai was third in the men’s long jump, while Clarence Munyai grabbed third in the men’s 200m.
Simbine crossed the line in 9.95 seconds, with Americans Noah Lyle in first and Christian Coleman second. Both Lyle and Coleman were credited with the same time of 9.86 with a photo finish needed to determine the winner.
In a fiercely-contested men’s long jump with just 2cm separating second and third, Samaai managed a best leap of 8.14 metres, behind Jamaican winner Tajay Gayle with 8.24m and China’s Jianan Wang second in 8.16m.
Fellow South African Zarck Visser was sixth in 7.90m.
In the men’s 200m, running in the outside lane, Munyai crossed the line in a season’s best of 20.37 seconds. Canadian Aaron Brown was first in 20.07, with countryman Andre de Grasse taking second in 20.21.
Sunette Viljoen finished eighth in the women’s javelin.
Viljoen’s best effort of 57.66 metres was some way off the top contenders.
China’s Lyu Huihui won with 66.89m with Latvian Lina Muze taking second in 64.87. Germany’s Christin Hussong completed the podium with 64.10m.
Antonio Alkana came home in eighth place in the men’s 110m hurdles. Alkana was second last in 13.47.
Jamaica’s Omar McLeod was first in 13.12 followed by China’s Xie Wenjun in 13.17, and Authorised Neutral Athlete Sergey Shubenkov was third in 13.28.