LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 08: Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa celebrates after winning the Men's 400 metres final during day five of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 8, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Home » South Africa’s Golden Boy Wayde Van Niekerk Lights Up London

South Africa’s Golden Boy Wayde Van Niekerk Lights Up London

South Africa’s Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk added World Championships 400-metre gold to his trophy collection with a consummate victory in London on Tuesday night. Starting in lane six, Van Niekerk was second quickest to react to the gun, only American Fred Kerley quicker, but the Bloemfontein bullet always looked in control, despite a threat […]

By Guest Contributor
09-08-17 00:21
in Fab South African Stuff
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 08: Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa celebrates after winning the Men's 400 metres final during day five of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 8, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

South Africa’s Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk added World Championships 400-metre gold to his trophy collection with a consummate victory in London on Tuesday night.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 08: Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa celebrates after winning the Men’s 400 metres final during day five of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 8, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Starting in lane six, Van Niekerk was second quickest to react to the gun, only American Fred Kerley quicker, but the Bloemfontein bullet always looked in control, despite a threat from Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas in the final bend and won in 43.98sec.

Van Niekerk countered that threat with the greatest of ease though and still looked able to even relax over the last 50m as he won in 43.98sec.

His winning time was almost a second outside his Olympic and world record time of 43.03 he ran a year ago this month.

But conditions were on the cold side and not suitable for world record times… and there’s the small matter of a possible 200m victory coming up in the next few days with the semi-finals being run as soon as Wednesday evening

Gardiner took second in 44.41 with Qatar’s Abdalelah Haroun a surprise third in a super finishing sprint down the inside with a personal best time of 44.48sec.

Van Niekerk’s 43.98 victory means that Michael Johnson’s World Championships record still stands, set in Seville, Spain 18 years ago.

Two years ago in Beijing, Van Niekerk won his first world championships title with a time of 43.48 seconds.

At his first World Championships four years ago in Moscow he ran a 46.37sec to end 26th in the heats… a time that seems light years away from the man who looks set to take over the mantel of athletics golden light, Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt.

Source: SASCOC.co.za

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