South Africa’s 400m world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk overcame compatriot Akani Simbine in the half-lap sprint at the 2024 Meeting Madridon Friday
Van Niekerk, a former world silver medallist over the 200m, outdipped Simbine in a season’s best time of 20.29 seconds. The Olympic champion looked disappointed at his time as he acknowledged the Spanish crowd.
The race nevertheless delivered a close tussle between two of the fastest men in the world with the duo coming out of the bend shoulder to shoulder. But Van Niekerk pulled slightly ahead for local bragging rights, with Simbine in second place with 20.38s.
The two South Africans likely entered the 200m event for different reasons with Van Niekerk looking to build some speed for the 400m and Simbine working on his endurance for the 100m.
This was the first time the duo met each other on foreign soil with Van Niekerk dominating the head-to-head winning all four of the four previous finals they raced against each other in South Africa since 2011.
The Rio 2016 champion has raced conservatively this season with the 200m in Madrid only his third individual event this year. At the South African championships, he settled for second place in the half-lap final and was third in his only 400m race this year at the USATF New York City Grand Prix earlier this month.
Simbine has been in fine form in his specialist 100m event in 2024 winning two Diamond League events with wins over top contenders including Olympic gold medallist Marcell Jacobs and former world champions Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley.
In the opening track event of the night, former world bronze medallist Abderrahman Alsaleck of Qatar clocked a season’s best of 47.97s in the men’s 400m hurdles. Alsaleck edged Frenchman Wilfried Happio (48.01s) to the line posting the eighth fastest time this year.
