Next great star bolts in for win
EVERYONE wants him to be the next Bolt and Wayde van Niekerk is at least following a crucial part of that script ... winning gold medals.
Since breaking the 400m record at last year’s Rio Olympics, the South African has been anointed as the man most likely to take over the mantle from the retiring Usain Bolt as the next big thing of track and field.
Van Niekerk’s second world title was never in doubt and he actually even eased down on the line to claim gold in 43.98sec.
Steven Gardiner, of The Bahamas, took silver (44.41sec) with Qatar’s Abdalelah Haroun bronze (44.48sec).
Van Niekerk is attempting to win the 400m/200m double which hasn’t been done at a world championships since American legend Michael Johnson in 1995.
In fact, no-one has come close and the 25-year-old was already thinking about the shorter event after capturing the one-lap title.
“It is amazing to win the world title,” he said.
“It is a blessing. I hope the fans enjoyed that.
“I’ve got a good team who will help me recover well for the 200m and I’m looking forward to that.”
The final of the men’s 200m is on tonight.
With Olympic champion David Rudisha missing because of injury, Frenchman Pierre-Ambroise Bosse claimed the 800m world title.
Bosse clocked 1min44.67sec to hold off Poland’s Adam Kszczot (1:44.95sec) and Kenya’s Kipyegon Bett (1:45.21sec)
And there was no-one more surprised with the victory than Bosse.
“It felt like a nightmare as I was getting chased,” he said.
“It was a never ending nightmare. I could not understand why nobody was going past me. Even when I crossed the line I could not believe it.
“The others killed themselves and they were already dead in the last 100m.
“I was like a witch casting a spell on them. Finally today I was ahead of everyone. People can forgive me now because I now have that world title.”
In the men’s 3000m steeplechase Kenya’s reigning Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto took over in the final lap and then started celebrating 10 metres before the line to claim the world title.