6 days ago
Zakithi Nene beats personal best time, clocking 43. 76 in dominant 400m at Kip Keino Classic
The in-form Zakithi Nene (centre) is the headline act in the 400m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, where he broke his PB on Saturday. | BackpagePix
South Africa's one-lap star Zakithi Nene stormed to a world leading time this year of 43.76 seconds, smashing his personal best, in winning the 400m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on Saturday afternoon.
The sprint sensation finally delivered on the threat to run a sub-44-second time in an individual race, having already done so in the 4X400m relay earlier this year.
He also quickly put behind him last week's Rabat Diamond League disappointment, when he was pipped to the line by American Jacory Patterson. Before Saturday's race, the American had also held the world-leading time this year.
There would be no close finish this time as Nene flew out of the blocks in typical fashion and only grew stronger as the race wore on. He finished more than a second ahead of Nigeria's Africa Games champion Chidi Okezie (44.98), while local runner Zablon Ekwam finished in third (45.01).
Nene's coach, Victor Vaz, had predicted a "comfortable win" for his charge in the build-up to the race that is part of the World Athletics Continental tour. Yet even he could not not have imagined such an emphatic response to last weekend's disappointment.
