GRAND PRIX 4: Africa's fastest set for showdown in South Africa

With packed line-ups across the sprint events, local and international speedsters are preparing to lock horns at the 4th leg of the ASA Athletics Grand Prix Series, also a Continental Tour Challenger event in Germiston on Wednesday night, headlined by a battle between the two fastest men on the continent.

Ferdinand Omanyala doesn't boast the experience which is carried by South African rocket Akani Simbine, who has graced the biggest stages of the sport, but the 26 year-old Kenyan is super quick and he's in good form.

Omanyala turned heads when he broke Simbine's African record (9.84) last year, clocking 9.77 in Nairobi and he looks eager to carry that momentum into the 2022 campaign.

After setting a season's best of 10.00 in the Kenyan capital last month, Omanyala won the 100m race at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix 3 meeting in 10.11 in Potchefstroom last week.

Simbine, meanwhile, clocked 10.19 at the Central Gauteng Athletics provincial championships over the weekend and the reigning African champion will be looking to make a statement in front of his home crowd in the build-up to the ASA Senior Track & Field National Championships and international campaign. 

But some welcomed and exciting contests in sprint events await enthusiasts at Germiston Stadium. 

Former Commonwealth Games 400m gold medallist Isaac Makwala of Botswana, headlines the men's 200m race, where he enters into the den of national record holder in the distance Clarence Munyai who enters the blocks alongside Olympic 100m semi-finalist Gift Leotlela and junior prodigy Benjamin Richardson.

Talk-of-the-moment youth athlete Viwe Jingqi, fresh off shattering national U18 women’s record three times at the recent ASA U16, U18 and U20 Championships, will turn out as the favourite against Banele Shabangu in the women's 200m race.

Another in-form youth athlete, Precious Molepo, will line up against African Championships silver medallist Christine Botlogetswe of Botswana in the women's 400m contest, while the start list for the men's one-lap event includes Zakithi Nene, junior prospect Lythe Pillay and Nzamani Ditiro of Botswana.  Tshepiso Maselela of Botswana will take on Tshepo Tshite in the 800m men.

In the field events, Jo-Ane van Dyk will face Czech athletes Nikol Tabackova and European Championships silver medallist Nikola Ogrodnikova in the women's javelin throw, with Johann Grobler squaring up against Finnish athletes Toni Keranen and Toni Kuusela in the men's event.

Experienced athlete Zarck Visser, a former African champion, will hope to show he's still got some spring in his step against a long jump field which also features in-form athlete Jovan van Vuuren. In the women’s triple jump Women, Zinzi Xulu and Patience Ntshingila have a battle to decide.

“With weather permitting, this is going to be a blockbuster of a meeting,” said a confident James Moloi, the President of Athletics South Africa. “With top athletes in the lineups, what else can we ask for?

“We knew when we approved this calendar, that the ASA Athletics Grand Prix Series was a beautiful decision to help our athletes with quality competition early in their season here at home. Opened to our African brothers and sisters and attracting most European countries, it can only grow.

“Being a World Athletics’ Continental Tour Challenger, is has begun to catch the attention of athletes who are regretting not being here. We are therefore looking forward to some outstanding performances all round and we wish all participants a wonderfull competition.”