After smashing the second-oldest track world record at the Rio Games on Sunday night, new Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk said he had expected a hamstring niggle to hit him in his historic final.
Van Niekerk was sensational as he obliterated a field starring 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James and 2008 titleholder LeShawn Merritt, despite running unsighted in the outside lane.
He crossed the line first in 43.03sec to bag South Africa’s first gold of Rio 2016 and push the medal tally to seven, the country’s highest number since readmission in 1992.
Michael Johnson’s 43.18 mark from 1999 is finally history; Van Niekerk is the trailblazer now.
He is SA’s first Olympic track champion since 110m hurdler Sid Atkinson in 1928, and the first Games sprint champion since Bevil Rudd won the 400m in 1920.
Van Niekerk is also SA’s first reigning world champion to add the Olympic crown in the same event, a feat swimmer Chad Le Clos was unable to accomplish in the 100m butterfly on Friday night. Heck, he also has the pleasure of winning an Olympic medal alongside cousin Cheslin Kolbe, bronze winner with the BlitzBoks.
Van Niekerk admitted afterwards he had struggled with a hamstring niggle in the heats and semifinals, during which he had appeared stiff.
“I had quite a challenging Olympics, heat and semifinal,” Van Niekerk said.
“Those were very mentally challenging for me.
“For those heats and semifinals, as I hit the 200m, I felt a bit of a niggle in my hamstring.”
Van Niekerk suffered recurring hamstring injuries earlier in his career when still doing the 100m and 200m, but that eased off after coach Ans Botha pushed him to the 400m, which requires less explosive power.
“And when I got to the final I hit the 200m expecting the feeling again and I felt nothing and I was like, ‘okay, don’t lose this opportunity’ and I tried to push.”
And push he did, crossing the line with a massive gap between him and James, who was second in 43.76. Merritt was third in 43.85. Van Niekerk, however, believed he was about to be overhauled. “As I got to the finish line I was expecting one of them to catch me.
“As I crossed the line I looked left and I saw that there was no one. I’m still a bit amazed, I still have to pinch myself.”
Merritt and James tried their damnedest to catch the South African phenom, thinking he would fade.
“It was a great race,” said Merritt. “I did think he was going to fade a little bit, I honestly did, but he was so far out.”
Added James: “I tried to go with him from 200m and he just kept going and going and never slowed down.
“When you do something like that, obviously a world record’s going to happen.”
Van Niekerk didn’t want to talk about future goals.
“Achieving what I did now I think the sky’s the limit. There’s no way I’m going to limit myself.
“I’m just going to try better myself each and every time I have the opportunity to race.”
Van Niekerk was asked how he might convince sceptics that he was not using illegal performance-enhancing substances.
Wayde beat hamstring twinge
Van Niekerk was sensational as he obliterated a field starring 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James and 2008 titleholder LeShawn Merritt, despite running unsighted in the outside lane.
He crossed the line first in 43.03sec to bag South Africa’s first gold of Rio 2016 and push the medal tally to seven, the country’s highest number since readmission in 1992.
Michael Johnson’s 43.18 mark from 1999 is finally history; Van Niekerk is the trailblazer now.
He is SA’s first Olympic track champion since 110m hurdler Sid Atkinson in 1928, and the first Games sprint champion since Bevil Rudd won the 400m in 1920.
Van Niekerk is also SA’s first reigning world champion to add the Olympic crown in the same event, a feat swimmer Chad Le Clos was unable to accomplish in the 100m butterfly on Friday night. Heck, he also has the pleasure of winning an Olympic medal alongside cousin Cheslin Kolbe, bronze winner with the BlitzBoks.
Van Niekerk admitted afterwards he had struggled with a hamstring niggle in the heats and semifinals, during which he had appeared stiff.
“I had quite a challenging Olympics, heat and semifinal,” Van Niekerk said.
“Those were very mentally challenging for me.
“For those heats and semifinals, as I hit the 200m, I felt a bit of a niggle in my hamstring.”
Van Niekerk suffered recurring hamstring injuries earlier in his career when still doing the 100m and 200m, but that eased off after coach Ans Botha pushed him to the 400m, which requires less explosive power.
“And when I got to the final I hit the 200m expecting the feeling again and I felt nothing and I was like, ‘okay, don’t lose this opportunity’ and I tried to push.”
And push he did, crossing the line with a massive gap between him and James, who was second in 43.76. Merritt was third in 43.85. Van Niekerk, however, believed he was about to be overhauled. “As I got to the finish line I was expecting one of them to catch me.
“As I crossed the line I looked left and I saw that there was no one. I’m still a bit amazed, I still have to pinch myself.”
Merritt and James tried their damnedest to catch the South African phenom, thinking he would fade.
“It was a great race,” said Merritt. “I did think he was going to fade a little bit, I honestly did, but he was so far out.”
Added James: “I tried to go with him from 200m and he just kept going and going and never slowed down.
“When you do something like that, obviously a world record’s going to happen.”
Van Niekerk didn’t want to talk about future goals.
“Achieving what I did now I think the sky’s the limit. There’s no way I’m going to limit myself.
“I’m just going to try better myself each and every time I have the opportunity to race.”
Van Niekerk was asked how he might convince sceptics that he was not using illegal performance-enhancing substances.
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