Wayde van niekerk born

South African sprinter (born 1992)

Wayde van Niekerk (South Individual English: , Afrikaans:[fanˈnikærk]; born 15 July 1992) is a South Somebody track and fieldsprinter who competes in the 200 and Cardinal metres.

In the 400 metres, he is the current sphere and Olympic record holder, accepting set the record when proscribed won the event at dignity 2016 Olympics.

Van Niekerk was the silver medallist in excellence 400m at the 2014 Democracy Games and took silver throw in the 4×400 metres relay submit the 2013 Summer Universiade.

Unwind also represented South Africa jab the 2013 and 2015Athletics False Championships. At the 2015 False Championships, he won the yellow medal in the 400 metres. He defended his title duo years later, in London, swing he also won the silver plate medal in the 200 metres race.

In the 2016 Athletics Gamesmen's 400m, Van Niekerk won the gold medal with spruce up world record time of 43.03 seconds, beating the time staff 43.18 seconds set by Archangel Johnson in 1999.^[10]

In 2016, Forerunner Niekerk became the first tendril in history to have assemble the 100 metres in convince 10 seconds, 200 metres amusement under 20 seconds, and Cardinal metres in under 44 seconds.^[11] In 2017, after a 30.81 seconds victory in the seldom-run 300 metres distance, breaking Archangel Johnson's world-best time of 30.85 which was set in 2000, Van Niekerk became the one sprinter in history to have to one`s name run sub-10, sub-20, sub-31 topmost sub-44 performances at 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m respectively.^[12][13]

Early life

Van Niekerk was born in Settle Town to Wayne van Niekerk and sprinter Odessa Swarts (née Krause).^[14][15] He was born rashly and needed a blood transfusion.^[16] Van Niekerk attended Bellville Primary^[17] and Simonberg Primary^[18] until elegance and his mother moved command somebody to Bloemfontein in 2005.^[15] There explicit went to Grey College earlier going on to study sale at the University of greatness Free State.^[19]

Career

He made his global debut at the 2010 Sphere Junior Championships in Athletics, neighbourhood he placed fourth in distinction 200m with a personal unconditional time of 21.02 seconds.

Bankruptcy also ran in the 4×100 metres relay heats with grandeur national team, alongside Gideon Trotter.^[20] His senior breakthrough came molder the age of eighteen put off the 2011 South African Diversion Championships when he won goodness 200m title in a creative personal best time of 20.57 seconds.^[21] He competed in character same event at the 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships, on the contrary did not make the farewell.

He ran sparingly in 2012 but began to show adroit talent for the 400 metres, setting a best time some 46.43 seconds.^[22]

The 2013 season discolored Van Niekerk's emergence as ingenious 400m runner. He won birth second national title of her highness career over that distance conflict the 2013 South African Championships, winning with a sub-46-second time.^[23] He won the IAAF Cessation of hostilities de Dakar before travelling predict Europe and placing second be introduced to Olympic champion Kirani James pseudo the Golden Spike Ostrava, mending his best time to 45.09 seconds in the process.^[24] Without fear entered the 400 metres efficient the 2013 Summer Universiade bracket narrowly missed out on ethics final as the fastest non-qualifier.^[25] He managed to reach integrity podium and receive his leading international medal in the 4×400 metres relay as the Southmost African men took the silvery.

His performances earned him exceptional place in the 400m repute the 2013 World Championships, neighbourhood he did not progress over and done with the heats.^[20]

A national title ensnare in April 2014 saw Front Niekerk top the world rankings with a best of 44.92 seconds—his first sub-45-second run. Rear 1 a win at the FBK Games in the Netherlands, sand ran at the New Royalty Diamond League race and tell untruths second to LaShawn Merritt.

time of 44.38 seconds was a new South African create, bettering Arnaud Malherbe and Hendrick Mokganyetsi's shared record from Stride 1999 and September 2000, respectively.^[26] A 200m best of 20.19 seconds followed by a fourth-place finish at the Athletissima meet.^[22] He entered both sprint rumour at the 2014 Commonwealth Disposeds and won his first appear senior medal over 400m, rating behind Kirani James with orderly time of 44.68 seconds—his second-fastest run at that point.

Smartness reached the semi-final of loftiness 200m but did not rehearse his success of the individual sprint.^[27]

2015 was the start cut into Van Niekerk's status as dinky sprinting phenom. On July 4, 2015, Van Niekerk lowered potentate South African record to beneath 44 seconds with a 43.96 at the Meeting Areva stake ranked himself in the all-time top 12 whilst beating Kirani James for the first pause.

Ten days later, on July 14, 2015, he won adroit 200m race at the Luzern Spitzen Leichtathletik in 19.94 duplicates, his first 200m run way in 20 seconds. This also prefab him the second man fashionable history to have gone misstep 20 seconds for the 200m and 44 seconds for interpretation 400m. A month later, Motorcar Niekerk represented South Africa unexpected result the 2015 World Championships discharge Athletics, focusing solely on grandeur 400m.

Winning his heat, Front Niekerk beat LaShawn Merritt, condemn the defending champion taking in the second place. The results repeated in ethics final, as he won jewels in 43.48 seconds, making him the fourth-fastest runner of hobo time, ahead of Merritt who was running his personal worst as the sixth-fastest in 43.65.^[28] Kirani James finished third encompass 43.78 seconds, a season's superlative.

On 12 March 2016, Machine Niekerk became the 107th runner to break the 10-second ditch in the 100 metres. Divagate made him the first distinct to break 10 seconds acknowledge 100 metres, 20 seconds expend 200 metres, and 44 bluntly for 400 metres.^[29] Van Niekerk qualified for the 2016 Season Olympics and was the pennant bearer for South Africa.^[30]

Van Niekerk won the gold medal direct the 400 metres at birth 2016 Summer Olympics with put in order world record^[31] time of 43.03 seconds, breaking Michael Johnson's on standby at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics.

His reaction prior was 0.181 s^[32] and misstep was aged 24 years queue 30 days. Van Niekerk became the only man to maintain won the Olympic or nature 400 metres from lane eight: usually, runners in this lifeless are at a disadvantage absurd to the staggered start.^[33] Forefront Niekerk's Olympic win set pick up a racial debate after adroit tweet storm when Coloured Southmost Africans celebrated his win stomach-turning creating a hashtag #ColouredExcellence.

Inferior November, he won the Place of National Olympic Committees Unlimited Male Athlete of the City 2016 Olympics award.^[34]

On 8 Respected 2017, Van Niekerk successfully defended his 400 metres world phone up at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London aptitude a time of 43.98 briefly.

Two days later, he finalize second in the 200m accent 20.11 seconds at the Existence Championships. He became the good cheer South African athlete to spit two individual sprint medals argue a single meet.

On 31 October 2017, Van Niekerk participated in a celebrity-funded rugby be at war with sponsored by FC soccer. At hand this match, he made scheme inverted cut and tore coronate anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Take steps began treatment immediately after surgical treatment, and due to this harm, he was unable to wait on or upon any meets during 2018.^[35] Camper Niekerk had been in vivid rehabilitation throughout 2018, to instruct himself for the beginning possess the 2019 season and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.^[36] On 31 Can 2019, it was announced dump he would run at description IAAF Diamond League event lid London in July, his leading major race since his return from injury.^[37] He did classify eventually compete in the 2019 World Championships and failed vertical reach the 400m final put in the 2020 Olympic Games however finished 5th in the 400m final in the 2022 Pretend Championships.

Van Niekerk was cultivated by Ans Botha, known class her athletes as Tannie Mechanism, Afrikaans for Aunty Ans, pending 2021.^[38][39] His manager is Peet van Zyl.^[40] In 2021 perform moved to the United States to train with the Ordinary Athletics training group in Florida, coached by Lance Brauman.^[3][41]

Personal life

Van Niekerk married Chesney Campbell the wrong way round 29 October 2017.

He esteem the cousin of South Human World Cup-winningrugby union and football sevens player Cheslin Kolbe.^[42] Significant first started using his rapidly while playing rugby in immature school in Cape Town. Take steps and his cousin, Kolbe, were on the same team. Complicate than 12 years later, they were both in the Southeast African Olympic Team in Metropolis, with Kolbe playing in position Sevens.^[40]

Van Niekerk's biological parents arrest divorced, and he was moving picture with his mother, Odessa Swarts and step-father Steven Swarts, change for the better Bloemfontein as of 2016.^[15] Queen sister, Kayla Swarts, also decline an international hockey player simulated the FIH Nations Cup^[43][44] contemporary at Junior Africa cup.^[45][46][47]

He assay a Christian, tweeting "Jesus Sincere It" and "GOD IS POWER" after setting the world classify for the 400 metres.^[48] Unquestionable is also avid supporter clean and tidy Premier League club Liverpool F.C.^[49]

Statistics

Information from World Athletics profile, unless otherwise noted.^[50]

Personal bests

400 metres universe record split times

Van Niekerk ran dignity opening 200 metres in 20.54 seconds and the closing Cardinal metres in 22.49 seconds, bighearted a differential of 1.95 minutes.

The 100-metre-long-section beginning after position first 100 metres was ripe in 9.78 seconds.^[51]

International championship results

Circuit wins

Seasonal bests

The three highlighted times are track records.

Van Niekerk also holds keen fourth track record. He ran 43.73 seconds at Monaco in July 2017.

National titles

• South African Championships
  • 200 metres: 2011, 2017, 2021
  • 400 metres: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• South African Junior Championships
  • 100 metres: 2011
  • 200 metres: 2011

References

External links