Wayde Van Niekerk faces tough challenge in Oslo

Wayde van Niekerk faces one of the toughest 400m fields of his comeback when he competes at the Diamond League meet in Oslo on Thursday night.

This is probably his most challenging line-up in a one-off contest since he injured his right knee in 2017.

The owner of the 43.03 sec world record is looking to overturn fairly recent losses to two of his rivals, Britain’s world championship bronze medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith and Colombian Anthony José Zambrano, runner-up at the Tokyo Olympics.

A third danger man lurks in Zambian Muzala Samukonga, the world’s fastest one-lap athlete so far in 2023 with the 43.91 he ran in Gaborone in late April.

This will be the first time he faces Van Niekerk, who posted the second-fastest time this year when he clocked 44.17 at the national championships in Potchefstroom at the beginning of April.

Van Niekerk also went 44.21 in Jamaica early this month, suggesting he is on track to go sub-44 for the first time in almost six years, whether it is on Thursday or in the next few weeks.

The earliest he has hit sub-44 in the past has been July, in 2015 and 2017, and in 2016 he did it only on his world-record run in the Games final in August.

But what Van Niekerk did when he ruled the world was to get through his international seasons unbeaten — and if he is planning to do the same this year, he might well have to dip into the 43s this early. In June he has traditionally never gone faster than a low 44.

Of the South African’s rivals, Zambrano is the only one he has never beaten, lying 0-2 in head-to-head races after losing out in a league meet in 2021 and at the Olympics. But the South American hasn’t shown good form since 2021.

Van Niekerk leads Hudson-Smith 2-1, having beaten him at Rio 2016 and at the 2017 world championships.

But to date no-one else in the field has beaten Van Niekerk, whose biggest flaw in Tokyo and at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, was lack of race fitness. He was unable to get through three rounds of racing at top pace.

He seems to be sorting that out in his preparation for the world championships in Budapest in August, and one indication that he is on track will be his top speed — he will want a sub-44 before the end of July at the latest. 

Also in the field is compatriot Zakithi Nene.

The other South African in action in Oslo is sprinter Luxolo Adams, a finalist at the world championships who stunned the world with his 19.82 personal best last year.

He faces a tough time too against a 200m line-up that features three men with quicker bests: American Erriyon Knighton, Cuban Reynier Mena and Canadian Andre de Grasse. 

The meeting will be broadcast on SuperSport (DStv channel 205) from 8pm.