South Africa will be well represented at the fourth leg of the Diamond League series, with a total of 10 athletes turning out in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday (25 May).
Men
Akani Simbine and Shaun Maswanganyi (100m)
National record holder Akani Simbine, who won the men’s 100m race at the first two legs of the Diamond League campaign in China, will be eager to extend his series lead in the 100m dash.
The consistent sprinter might have to be at his best, however, against a powerful line-up which features African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and former world champion Fred Kerley of the United States.
Simbine won’t be the only South African in the field, which also includes former Olympic semifinalist Shaun Maswanganyi, but US-based sprinter Maswanganyi has not yet shown form this year and will have to find another gear if he hopes to put up a fight against the global elite.
Wayde van Niekerk and Benjamin Richardson (200m)
Another two world-class SA athletes are in the men’s 200m sprint, and they too will need to set the track alight if they want to beat a quality line-up.
One-lap specialist Wayde van Niekerk, who will look to gain momentum in only his second race of the season, lines up alongside rising star Benjamin Richardson in what promises to be a thrilling half-lap dash.
Every athlete in the race has previously run under 20 seconds, with Tebogo (who will double up in the 100m and 200m) and two-time World Championships medallist Erriyon Knighton of the United States turning out as the headline acts.
Zakithi Nene (400m)
Another South African sprinter, Zakithi Nene, will be eager to build on his superb form this season in the men’s 400m contest.
Nene, who led the SA 4x400m team to gold at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou earlier this month, will fancy his chances of challenging for victory after setting a personal best of 44.22 to win the national title in Potchefstroom last month.
But he too faces a tough battle against the likes of American athlete Quincy Hall, the Olympic champion, and consistent performer Bayapo Ndori of Botswana.
Tshepo Tshite (1 500m)
Tshite has been in good form this year, setting a national short track mile record (3:54.10) in France in February, clocking a 1 500m personal best (3:32.03) in Cape Town last month, and winning the SA 800m title in Potchefstroom.
He will be up against it in Rabat, however, when he toes the line against a field which includes six athletes who have run under 3:32.00 in their careers.
Among the favourites are African champion Brian Komen and fellow Kenyan Reynold Cheruiyot who won the world junior title in 2022.
Women
Prudence Sekgodiso (800m)
In the women’s 800m race, world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso will turn out among the favourites.
Sekgodiso, who won two Diamond League races last year, will be confident of putting up a fight, though she will have to contend with three athletes in the line-up who hold quicker personal bests, including Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia.
Zeney Geldenhuys and Rogail Joseph (400m hurdles)
Facing one of the toughest challenges of the night, Zeney Geldenhuys and Rogail Joseph will compete in a women’s 400m hurdles race that features three athletes who have gone under 53 seconds.
Geldenhuys and Joseph, who reached the Olympic semifinals in Paris last season, will hope to challenge near the front of the field and potentially be dragged to fast times.
In the battle for victory, however, all eyes will be on world champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands, who will be difficult to beat.
Jo-Ane du Plessis (javelin throw)
After securing an Olympic silver medal in Paris last year, Du Plessis has had a decent start to the 2025 campaign, having finished third in her specialist discipline at the second leg of the Diamond League series in China earlier this month with a season’s best of 62.53m.
She will need to take a step up, however, when she turns out in Rabat, with nine athletes in the line-up boasting bigger personal bests than Du Plessis’ career record of 64.22m.
The line-up is spearheaded by world and Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan and 21-year-old Serbian athlete Adriana Vilagos, a two-time former world junior champion, who holds the 2025 world lead of 67.22m.
* Featured image of Wayde van Niekerk by Cecilia van Bers
