Van Niekerk marked himself as the leading contender for Rio when he led home Merritt and James with an exceptional run to win gold at last year’s world championships in Beijing, where the podium again all ran under 44 seconds.
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“This is the flawless opportunity to thank each and every one who has supported me and has been a part of this journey and to thank everyone in SA”. “We have put this sport on a pedestal”, said James.
“Usually that’s what happens, the guys slow down a bit!”
“When he came to Jamaica, I said to him, ‘You’re the only person who can break the 400-meter record, ‘” Bolt recounted. “He just did that and exemplified that”.
The world’s greatest ever sprinter, Usain Bolt, wants to take on new 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk over 300m.
Van Niekerk added that he doesn’t even recall having a strategy in place.
It was the first time that all three medalists ran sub-44 second races, but Van Niekerk was several large strides ahead of his competitors.
The Cape Town-born star arrived in Rio with form.
“I have never seen anything like that”, Johnson told BBC, for whom he works as an analyst.
Van Niekerk played down being drawn in the outside lane, saying there were pros and cons.
“This young man has done something truly special”.
“I knew the time was going to be fast but I didn’t think it was going to be 43.0 fast”, said the 2008 champion. He was running a time-trial.
After winning his third successive 100m Olympic gold Bolt, who is also chasing another gold in the 200m, said he would love to race van Niekerk over the compromise distance of 300m.
“It was a insane race, a great moment in history”.
“For him to break that record has opened the barriers for every athlete out there”, he said. “I’m just grateful for being here”.
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“He ran his heart out”.
