One-lap wonder Van Niekerk targets Johnson double

LONDON: Wayde van Niekerk’s bid for a first world double since 1995 now turns to the 200m after he stormed to a comfortable victory in the 400m.

After initially struggling with the cold, the 25-year-old ran a solid final bend to blast to victory in 43.98 seconds with a lot to spare, and went straight into recovery ahead of Wednesday’s 200m semi-finals, with the final on Thursday.

“It was quite freezing and I struggled to get myself warmed up and ready,” said Van Niekerk, who came into the 400m as defending world and Olympic champion.

“I was doubting my momentum. In the last 150 metres I tried putting in an extra gear, but I couldn’t catch my stride until my last few metres. I just allowed the race to go through to the finish line.” Thoughts will turn straight to the 200m, and a rare double.

The last athlete to claim the 200/400m double was American Michael Johnson, who achieved the feat the 1995 worlds in Gothenburg, repeating the achievement a year later in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

“It’s easier said than done,” said Van Niekerk, who smashed Johnson’s 400m world record when winning gold in Rio and then his rarely-run 300m record in Ostrava last month.

“It’s competition, it’s very unpredictable.

“My body still feels very good. It took me a while to recover.

“But from endurance I go straight to speed... It’s a day-by-day, stepby-step process for us athletes.”