Defending champion Akani Simbine will attempt to retain his African 100m crown in Mauritius on Thursday, but he’ll have to beat Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala to keep it. 

Simbine clocked 10.09 to win his semifinal on the opening day on Wednesday, while Omanyala won his eliminator in 10.07. Henricho Bruintjies is also in the line-up after finishing second in his semifinal in 10.21. 

The SA sprinter has yet to beat Omanyala, having finished behind the Kenyan in their previous two showdowns. 

Carina Horn will start among the favourites for a medal in the women’s 100m after winning her semifinal in 11.08. Nigeria’s Seyni Aminatou went 11.07 and the other semifinal winner was Gina Bass of Gambia, also in 11.08. 

In the men’s 800m the big shock was the failure of Tshepo Tshite to advance out the heats after finishing third in 1:51.07. 

Ischke Senekal got SA’s medal haul under way, winning gold in the women’s shot put with her best effort of 16.40m, though her second-best throw of 15.95 would have still got her to the top of the podium. 

Compatriot Zonica Lindeque took the bronze on 15.79. 

Allan Cumming and Tshepang Makhethe gave SA gold and silver in the men’s hammer throw.

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