Wayde ‘destined for greatness’
WORLD CHAMPS: SA STAR OUT TO EMULATE JOHNSON
Malherbe backing Van Niekerk to achieve immortality.
If Wayde van Niekerk can win an historic double at the World Championships in London in August, he will take a step closer towards establishing his place as the best 400m runner in history, according to former national record-holder Arnaud Malherbe.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) confirmed last week it had adjusted the schedule in order for Van Niekerk to make a rare attempt at the 200m and 400m podiums at the global showpiece.
Malherbe, who shared the long-standing SA one-lap mark of 44.59 with Hendrick Mokganyetsi before it was broken by Van Niekerk in June 2014, backed the 24-year-old athlete’s decision to make the attempt now, rather than holding off until he was a bit older and stronger.
“He is in ‘direct’ competition with (American) Michael Johnson as the greatest 400m athlete of all time and it will certainly help cement his claim to that title if he can emulate Johnson by winning the double,” said Malherbe, a former World Championships relay bronze medallist.
“To really lay claim to Johnson’s title, he would also need to go on and successfully defend his 400m title at the next Olympics.”
Johnson is the only man to have earned the 200m/400m double at the biennial World Championships, achieving the feat in Gothenburg in 1995.
Van Niekerk, who broke Johnson’s 400m world record when he clocked 43.03 at last year’s Olympics, held a 200m personal best of 19.94 and grabbed the African half-lap title last season.
While he was the favourite to retain his one-lap crown, however, Malherbe believed the Bloemfontein rocket would need to prove himself before being elevated among the title contenders over the shorter distance.
“There are a lot of guys who can run around 19.7/19.8 on their day, so even medalling might be difficult,” Malherbe said.
“But Wayde is a competitor and he always manages to surprise, so I wouldn’t put it past him.”