Four South Africans will compete for glory and the $50‚000 winner’s prize at the first Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday night.
Akani Simbine will take on American sprint wizard Noah Lyles and world champion Justin Gatlin in the 100m showdown which is missing front-runner Christian Coleman‚ who is defending himself against a doping violation.
Coleman‚ the world No1 for 2019 with a 9.81 best‚ allegedly missed three drug tests‚ which will earn the US ace a ban if he fails to argue his case sufficiently at a hearing scheduled for next week.
Simbine boasts the third-fastest season’s best in the field‚ his 9.93sec slower only than Lyle’s 9.86 and Gatlin’s 9.87.
Briton Zharnel Hughes has been 9.95‚ Jamaican Yohan Blake has been 9.96 and American Michael Rodgers 9.97.