The United States' Courtney Lindsey, left, and South Africa's Akani Simbine, right, crossed the line after the men’s 4x100m relay. The United States' Courtney Lindsey, left, and South Africa's Akani Simbine, right, crossed the line after the men’s 4x100m relay. Picture: Jewel Samad / AFP
Team South Africa sprint star Akani Simbine and the rest of the 4x100m relay team kept the country’s hopes of an athletics medal at the Paris Olympics alive by qualifying for Friday’s final.
Simbine produced a blistering anchor leg to come from well down in the field to finish second behind a dominant United States team, who were without the 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles.
Lyles’ teammates Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Kyree King and Courtney Lindsay produced the fastest time in the semi-finals with an effort of 37.47 to book their place in the final
Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi, Bradley Nkoana and Simbine finished in a time of 37.94 to finish as the second fastest qualifiers. They ran a season’s best after clocking 38.08 earlier this year.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Wayde van Niekerk comes into the mix for the final after he missed out on Thursday night’s 200m final.
Simbine had run the race of of his life in the men’s 100m final, clocking a personal best and South African record time of 9.82. He finished fourth in the final, but will be be hoping for a podium finish with his teammates on Friday in the relay final.
That finish from Akani Simbine in the Men's 4x100m Relay heat 🔥![CDATA[]]>🔥
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 8, 2024
He passed four other sprinters to take South Africa from sixth to second in a matter of seconds 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>💥#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/GMX5o4I5H5
China won the second semi in 38.24sec ahead of France and Canada. However, Jamaica, with 100m silver medallist Kishane Thompson on anchor, finished fourth and failed to advance.
Also qualifying as the two next fastest were Japan and Italy, for whom Tokyo Games 100m gold medallist Marcell Jacobs ran the opening leg.
In the women’s race, 100m silver medallist Sha'Carri Richardson and 200m champion Gabby Thomas steered the United States into the final of the women's 4x100m relay after winning their heat on Thursday.
Melissa Jefferson, who won bronze in the 100m in Paris, ran the opening leg, with Twanisha Terry taking the baton down the far straight.
Terry's handover to Thomas wasn't as smooth as it could have been, however, handing the advantage to Germany.
Thomas' pass to anchor-leg Richardson, and she powered past Rebekka Haase to push the German quartet into second in 42.15.
Switzerland took the third automatic qualifying spot.
The women’s final is scheduled for 7.30pm on Friday night.
Additional reporting by AFP
@JohnGoliath82