Athlete Van Niekerk experiences revival in Tokyo, overcoming injury tribulations
Wayde van Niekerk Gears Up for Tokyo World Championships
South African sprinter Wayde van Niekerk is preparing for the 2021 World Championships in Tokyo, aiming to make a strong comeback after a series of setbacks in his career.
Van Niekerk, aged 33, won the 400m world title in 2015, followed by a gold medal victory at the 2016 Olympics where he set a world record-breaking time of 43.03sec. However, his athletic career was disrupted in 2017 when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament playing rugby.
After rehabilitation, Van Niekerk focused on the 200m and made a comeback at the 2021 Paris Olympics, reaching the semi-finals. His latest 200m performance was in the 2021 World Championships in Tokyo, where he completed his heat in 20.19sec. This was a significant improvement, as just last month he ran 20.07sec in Budapest, his best time in eight years and his seventh-fastest run ever.
Van Niekerk heads into the World Championships in good form, and his current goal is to reach the semi-finals. Despite not achieving major international titles in the 200m since his 2021 comeback, he remains a competitive sprinter.
The athlete, who is a cousin of Cheslin Kolbe, a twice World Cup-winning South African rugby player, finds inspiration from many people on a daily basis. Kolbe, who scored two tries in the Springboks' record 43-10 win over New Zealand last week, is one of them.
Van Niekerk's family is also involved in competitive sports. He recently had a second child, a boy, earlier this year with his wife. The sprinter takes a one-day-at-a-time approach to his competition schedule, focusing on each event as it comes.
After the World Championships, Van Niekerk is looking forward to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. His decision to drop the 400m and focus on the 200m had given him a new lease of life, and he sees each competition as an opportunity to prove himself.
Despite not winning major titles since his comeback, Van Niekerk remains optimistic. He stated there were 'a lot of positives' from his latest performance at the 2021 World Championships. His 43.03sec mark in the 400m still stands almost a decade later, a testament to his incredible talent and determination.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
