Wayde van Niekerk still has pain but wants to lower his 400m world record
Rusty Van Niekerk knows when he will return to serious competition, but is keeping mum on when that will be
Wayde van Niekerk still experiences pain in his reconstructed right knee and he does not know when he will regain his all-conquering form‚ but the Olympic and world champion wants to lower his 400m world record. “It’s not 100%‚” Van Niekerk said of the right knee that underwent surgery soon after injuring it during a game of tag rugby in late 2017. “I don’t know when it will be 100% but my mind’s set on doing what I can do‚ doing whatever is expected of me and seeing where that takes me. No athlete is ever pain-free so I just have one that I caused on myself. I have to take the knocks and work from there.” Van Niekerk‚ who last raced internationally in 2017‚ was speaking at a function in Midrand to officially announce a three-year extension of his contract with sponsor T-Systems. He has only just started racing again‚ and at the weekend clocked a pedestrian 47.28sec winning in his home town of Bloemfontein. It is way off his 43.03 world mark‚ but the manner in which he won — with a ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.