African Stars Make Strong Statement at Silesia Diamond League

Posted : 24 August 2026

African athletics continued its impressive rise on the Diamond League circuit as athletes from Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon produced notable performances at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland.

Botswana's Collen Kebinatshipi emerged as the biggest African headline-maker, storming to victory in the men's 400m in 43.59 seconds to set a new meeting record.

Kebinatshipi dominated the race from the start and held off a world-class field to secure a statement victory. American Olympic champion Rai Benjamin finished second in 43.83 seconds, recording his first sub-44-second time in the event, while South Africa's Zakithi Nene completed the podium in 44.37 seconds.

Nigeria also enjoyed a strong outing, led by Kayinsola Ajayi in the men's 100m. The Nigerian sprinter finished fourth in 9.94 seconds, narrowly missing the podium in a fiercely contested final.

Jamaica's Oblique Seville claimed the race in a meeting-record 9.83 seconds, followed by American Kenny Bednarek in 9.87 seconds and compatriot Christian Coleman in 9.93 seconds.

South Africa's Gift Leotlela and Akani Simbine also broke the 10-second barrier, running 9.95 and 9.96 seconds respectively to finish fifth and seventh. Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme completed the African representation in ninth place in 9.99 seconds.

Nigeria's Nathaniel Ezekiel added another impressive performance in the men's 400m hurdles, clocking 47.83 seconds to finish fourth.

Brazilian Alison dos Santos took a commanding victory in a world-leading 46.43 seconds, with Norway's Karsten Warholm second in a season's best 46.52 seconds. Another Brazilian, Matheus Lima, completed the podium with a personal best of 47.26 seconds.

The performances in Silesia provided another indication of the growing competitiveness of African sprinting, as athletes from four nations successfully challenged some of the world's established track stars.

The women's 100m also produced a high-quality contest, with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden taking victory in a season's best 10.78 seconds.

Olympic champion Julien Alfred was second in 10.83 seconds, while American Sha'Carri Richardson finished third in 10.96 seconds.

In the women's 400m, Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino maintained her unbeaten record for the season with a commanding 48.87-second victory. Jamaica's Nickisha Pryce was second in a season's best 49.49 seconds, while Bahrain's Salwa Eid Naser took third in 49.57 seconds.

For Africa, however, the standout moment belonged to Kebinatshipi, whose record-breaking 400m triumph, combined with strong performances from Nigeria and South Africa, further underlined the continent's growing influence on the global athletics scene.

With the World Athletics Ultimate Championship approaching, the performances in Silesia also provide encouraging signs for the African athletes preparing to compete against the world's best later in the season.

African Stars Make Strong Statement at Silesia Diamond League

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