Home » Wayde van Niekerk Wins Olympic Best Male Athlete Award

Wayde van Niekerk Wins Olympic Best Male Athlete Award

South African athlete Wayde van Niekerk won more global honours on Tuesday night when he was named Best Male Athlete of the Rio Olympics at the Association of National Olympic Committees awards in Doha, Qatar. Van Niekerk won Gold in the 400-metre track event in August, at the same time breaking the 17-year-old world record of […]

By SAPeople
16-11-16 20:01
in Fab South African Stuff

South African athlete Wayde van Niekerk won more global honours on Tuesday night when he was named Best Male Athlete of the Rio Olympics at the Association of National Olympic Committees awards in Doha, Qatar.

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Picture courtesy of BBC

Van Niekerk won Gold in the 400-metre track event in August, at the same time breaking the 17-year-old world record of 43.18sec, held by Michael Johnson.

What made Van Niekerk’s 43.03sec win all the more remarkable was that he ran in the less favoured lane eight.

His win earned South Africa its first track Gold medal since re-admission to world sport back in 1992.

The humble athlete returned to a hero’s welcome in South Africa… and a brand new Audi from his sponsors.

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Source: Twitter

South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Mbalula Fikile, tweeted today: “His record breaking performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics is but a start to his world stunning career.”

– See more at: www.sascoc.co.za/

Usain Bolt’s brilliant reaction at the time when Wayde broke the World Record:

On Twitter today…

https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/798791552621428736

https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/798828921475084289