Dambile dipped under 20 seconds over 200m for the sixth time this year to take second place at the Diamond League final.
South African sprinter Sinesipho Dambile. Picture: Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto/AFP
Despite enjoying a breakthrough season, sprinter Sinesipho Dambile believes he can still improve, and he’ll be looking to tighten up the phases of his race when he turns out at the three-day inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest next week.
Dambile closed out an impressive Diamond League campaign by taking second place in the men’s 200m final in Brussels on Saturday night.
He completed the half-lap race in 19.89 seconds, with only two-time Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek finishing ahead of him in 19.62.
“I’m still messing up my race a little bit. I was struggling on the bend and that’s something I need to fix before the Ultimate Championship,” Dambile said after the race.
“I’m confident that I will do even better than today. It’s an important goal for me.”
Memorable season
Dambile has been superb throughout the 2026 season.
After retaining his national half-lap title in Stellenbosch in April, the 200m specialist went on to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.
He also achieved podium places at six Diamond League races ahead of the series final, including a victory at the Doha leg in June where he lowered his personal best to 19.74.
With Dambile having dipped under 20 seconds six times this year, it seemed only a matter of time before the 24-year-old athlete eclipsed the eight-year-old national 200m record of 19.69 held by Clarence Munyai.
For now, however, his immediate goal was to win the half-lap race at the Ultimate Championship.
And while Bednarek was the fastest 200m runner in the world this year, having twice clocked 19.62, Dambile refused to give him “favourite” tag ahead of the Ultimate Championship.
“Kenny Bednarek was the best man today (in the Diamond League final), but is he the favourite in Budapest? No, anyone on the track is the favourite.”
Other Diamond League results
Aside from Dambile, the rest of the SA contingent struggled to put up a fight at the top-flight Diamond League final.
Gift Leotlela (10.01) and Akani Simbine (10.03) finished fifth and seventh respectively in the men’s 100m race, Zakithi Nene (44.44) was sixth in a very fast men’s 400m contest, and Prudence Sekgodiso settled for eighth place in the women’s 800m event in 2:02.34.
Competing in the men’s T63 100m invitation race, which was not an official Diamond League event, amputee sprinter Puseletso Mabote secured victory in 12.12.
