The 24-year-old sprinter finished second in the men’s 200m final in Brussels, securing South Africa’s only podium finish at the Diamond League Final.
Brussels, Belgium (07 September 2026) – Sinesipho Dambile has wrapped up an impressive Diamond League campaign with a silver medal in Brussels, and he did it in a time that has become something of a trademark this season.
The 24-year-old finished second in the men’s 200m final at the Diamond League Final on Saturday night, clocking 19.89 seconds to secure South Africa’s only podium finish at the two-day event.
American Kenny Bednarek took the win in 19.62 seconds, matching the fastest 200m time in the world this year.
Dambile went into the final with plenty of confidence after finishing top of the Diamond League points standings in the 200m. He once again dipped under 20 seconds, continuing what has been a standout season for the Eastern Cape-born sprinter.
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And there was a little bit of history behind this one too.
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Despite missing out on the top step, Dambile was happy with his performance and the atmosphere in Brussels.
“Every time I show up, I make sure that I give my best… and I definitely enjoyed the race. The crowd was great and Kenny Bednarek was the best man today,” Dambile said after the race.
There was plenty of other South African interest across the Diamond League Final, although Dambile was the only athlete to leave Brussels with a podium finish.
In the men’s 100m, Gift Leotlela finished fifth in 10.01 seconds, while fellow South African Akani Simbine crossed the line seventh in 10.03.
Zakithi Nene placed sixth in the men’s 400m after stopping the clock at 44.44 seconds.
It was a tougher night for Prudence Sekgodiso in the women’s 800m. The South African finished eighth in 2:02.34.
The focus now turns to the bigger picture for Dambile. A Commonwealth Games gold medal, a Diamond League silver and another sub-20-second 200m have added to what has already been a very encouraging 2026 season.
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