AN exhausted Wayde van Niekerk was hospitalised after he beat a star-studded line-up to claim the 400m world crown in Beijing last night.
South African team management said he had struggled to breath after his monumental effort and was taken away in an ambulance, but added that he was fine and would return to the team hotel.
“It was precautionary,” said one coach. Van Niekerk started like a rocket and he never relented, leaving the reigning Olympic, world and African champions eating dirt in his wake.
Van Niekerk crossed the line in 43.48sec to become the fourth-fastest man of all time and claim SA its first sprint gold at a major championship in more than a century.
The last South African to win a sprint title was Reggie Walker in the 100m at the 1908 Olympics, while the last sprint medal of any description was the 400m bronze by Malcolm Spence at the 1960 Rome Games.
Anaso Jobodwana will carry SA’s hopes tonight in the men’s 200m final, where he goes up against Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin.
LaShawn Merritt, the freshly dethroned 400m world champ, was second in a 43.65 personal best and he admitted being stunned – and stung – by Van Niekerk’s effort.
“A PR and I just get to take the silver. He has been running well all season.
“Was I expecting a 43.4? No. You never know what someone is going to do,” added Merritt, who won the 2008 Olympic title here at the Bird’s Nest stadium.
“I executed enough to run a personal best, it just wasn’t enough for the gold tonight. I’m a little upset because I wanted the gold, but I can’t be mad.”
Kirani James of Grenada finished third in a season’s best 43.78; not even his winning time from the London Olympics would have been good enough last night.
This was the first time in track history that all three 400m medallists had broken 44 seconds.
“This was one of the toughest races in my life,” said James. “With guys running such times, the world record could also be in threat. I think the level of our event is increasing so much.
“I knew LaShawn was gonna be very fast and I have run a couple of races against Wayde too, so I am not surprised by the exceptional times. I knew what they were capable of.”
African king, Isaac Makwala of Botswana, faded into fifth in 44.63.
Van Niekerk dropped to the ground straight after he first crossed the finishing line, but he got to his feet and walked to the mainstand to face his SA teammates in the crowd.
His roommate, Akani Simbine, and coach Ans Botha were among those who squeezed to the front to congratulate the country’s newest hero.
Van Niekerk even took a selfie, but soon afterwards he went down again, and this time medical staff attended to him.
SA team management said he was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
Earlier in the evening, Wenda Nel ended seventh in the women’s 400m hurdles, and Justine Palframan advanced to the women’s 200m semifinals.
Mo Farah’s bid to defend his double world distance titles almost came unstuck yesterday as he was tripped coming into the final 200 metres of his 5000m heat.
Great Britain’s Farah, who won 10000m gold on Saturday, was in control of the race throughout but was clipped coming into the final bend, leaving him with a cut toe and causing him to stumble badly before correcting himself.
To gasps from the Bird’s Nest crowd, Farah relaunched himself to finish second behind Ethiopian winner Yomif Kejelcha, the world’s fastest performer in 2015, who timed 13min 19.38sec in the hot morning sun.
Rocket Man blasts off in Bird’s Nest
South African team management said he had struggled to breath after his monumental effort and was taken away in an ambulance, but added that he was fine and would return to the team hotel.
“It was precautionary,” said one coach. Van Niekerk started like a rocket and he never relented, leaving the reigning Olympic, world and African champions eating dirt in his wake.
Van Niekerk crossed the line in 43.48sec to become the fourth-fastest man of all time and claim SA its first sprint gold at a major championship in more than a century.
The last South African to win a sprint title was Reggie Walker in the 100m at the 1908 Olympics, while the last sprint medal of any description was the 400m bronze by Malcolm Spence at the 1960 Rome Games.
Anaso Jobodwana will carry SA’s hopes tonight in the men’s 200m final, where he goes up against Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin.
LaShawn Merritt, the freshly dethroned 400m world champ, was second in a 43.65 personal best and he admitted being stunned – and stung – by Van Niekerk’s effort.
“A PR and I just get to take the silver. He has been running well all season.
“Was I expecting a 43.4? No. You never know what someone is going to do,” added Merritt, who won the 2008 Olympic title here at the Bird’s Nest stadium.
“I executed enough to run a personal best, it just wasn’t enough for the gold tonight. I’m a little upset because I wanted the gold, but I can’t be mad.”
Kirani James of Grenada finished third in a season’s best 43.78; not even his winning time from the London Olympics would have been good enough last night.
This was the first time in track history that all three 400m medallists had broken 44 seconds.
“This was one of the toughest races in my life,” said James. “With guys running such times, the world record could also be in threat. I think the level of our event is increasing so much.
“I knew LaShawn was gonna be very fast and I have run a couple of races against Wayde too, so I am not surprised by the exceptional times. I knew what they were capable of.”
African king, Isaac Makwala of Botswana, faded into fifth in 44.63.
Van Niekerk dropped to the ground straight after he first crossed the finishing line, but he got to his feet and walked to the mainstand to face his SA teammates in the crowd.
His roommate, Akani Simbine, and coach Ans Botha were among those who squeezed to the front to congratulate the country’s newest hero.
Van Niekerk even took a selfie, but soon afterwards he went down again, and this time medical staff attended to him.
SA team management said he was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
Earlier in the evening, Wenda Nel ended seventh in the women’s 400m hurdles, and Justine Palframan advanced to the women’s 200m semifinals.
Mo Farah’s bid to defend his double world distance titles almost came unstuck yesterday as he was tripped coming into the final 200 metres of his 5000m heat.
Great Britain’s Farah, who won 10000m gold on Saturday, was in control of the race throughout but was clipped coming into the final bend, leaving him with a cut toe and causing him to stumble badly before correcting himself.
To gasps from the Bird’s Nest crowd, Farah relaunched himself to finish second behind Ethiopian winner Yomif Kejelcha, the world’s fastest performer in 2015, who timed 13min 19.38sec in the hot morning sun.
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