South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk shocked many when he won gold in the 400-meter dash Sunday and broke a world record held by USA sprinter Michael Johnson.
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Having dominated the sprinting world for nearly a decade, Usain Bolt has offered the tantalising prospect of bowing out from global competition with a showdown against new 400-metres world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, suggesting he would be keen to race the South African over 300m. American LaShawn Merritt, who won gold at the 2008 Olympics, took bronze with a time of 43.85.
“I’m a sucker on two 44s”.
“These are guys that inspired me – Usain Bolt, Michael Johnson, I learned from them, and even the guys that ran against me today, Lashawn Merritt, Kirani James, these are guys that inspired me”.
“I literally need to go back and watch the race before I can comment on the race itself”.
“I thought I was going well on the back straight and then I got to 250m and it was going up another gear”. From lane eight, a world record.
“Achieving what I just did now, I think the sky’s the limit”.
Hudson-Smith’s next event is the 4x400m relay heats which start on August 19.
“I just carried on the legacy”, he said.
“It’s Usain Bolt, the king of 100 and 200m”. He’s been such a huge rock in inspiring me as an athlete.
Van Niekerk reacted to the victory in his typically humble manner, when speaking to the media immediately after winning the 400m race.
“I told him in Jamaica … we were having a conversation and I was saying my coach says you’re probably the only guy right now, other than me, that can break this [400m] world record because he got speed and he got strength”. Under her tutelage, Van Niekerk has shaved four seconds off his personal best in the 400-meter race.
When Usain Bolt finally packs it in, track and field may just have found its next global star.
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Van Niekerk was on board too. I’m really grateful being part of this generation of athletics and keeping the sports alive. Commentating on the race for the BBC, Michael Johnson said early this morning that no runner has ever won a championship in the 400m from this lane. James finished in 43.76, just 0.02 away from his best, while Merritt came home in 43.85.
