South Africa and the world of athletics breathed a sigh of relief when 400m world record-holder Wayde van Nikerk returned to the big league after six years.
Van Niekerk ran his way into the record books at the Olympic Games in Brazil in 2016 but suffered a near-career ending injury while playing a celebrity touch rugby game in Cape Town.
At the time and with sprint specialist Usain Bolt bowing out of athletics, Van Niekerk was seen as a firm favourite for medals in the 100m and 200m races as well.
The injury that tore both his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligaments, immediately ruled him out of the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in 2017.
Even with successful knee surgery, Van Niekerk said there were doubts over the years that he would be back on the world stage again.
“There were days when I thought I would never get back on the track.”
But he surprised the world when he won the 400m event at the recent Diamond League athletics meeting in Oslo on Thursday night.
In front of his wife, daughter and family in the Norwegian summer, Van Niekerk recorded an impressive 44.38, nothing close to his world record of 43:03.
“Running fast times in two different conditions, one at altitude and the other in wet weather, shows some consistency and I’m using it as a positive moving forward as I make gradual progress,” said the world champion.
Van Niekerk, who turns 31 next month, beat the African champion, Muzala Samukonga from Zambia who has recorded the fastest time in 2023 (43:91).
“I don’t think people realise just how hard this event is both physically and mentally — you can see how long it takes me to recover so that shows I’m still not where I’m meant to be but I’m getting there,” said Van Niekerk in a post race interview.
Earlier in the year, the SA golden boy recorded 44:17 in Potchefstroom, an impressive split of 11:04.25 seconds per 100m.
Pictured above: Wayde van Niekern returns to form ahead of the World Champ in Budapest
Source: Diamond League
