Bolt lauds Van Niekerk
BOLT LAUDS WAYDE AFTER 300M ACHIEVEMENT Van Niekerk proves himself a more than worthy candidate to take the baton from Jamaican superstar.
Eager to test himself over his best distance, Wayde van Niekerk has been given a double boost in confidence ahead of his first international 400m race of the season in Lausanne next week.
The 24-year-old sprinter clocked 30.81 at the World Challenge meeting in Ostrava on Wednesday night, clipping 0.04 off the 300m world best held by American legend Michael Johnson over the unofficial distance.
He also chopped 0.16 off the meeting record held by Jamaican star Usain Bolt.
“It was a nervy build-up because I’ve been avoiding the 300m and 400m (this year) so I’m glad I finally got to break through that,” said Van Niekerk. “It’s a good step towards the 400m in Lausanne.”
Though he had not yet turned out in a top-flight 400m race this season, the one-lap world record holder again showed he was on track for his attempt at a 200m/400m double at the World Championships in London in August, after clocking a 100m personal best of 9.94 and a 200m national record of 19.84 earlier this month.
“I’m feeling quite positive and confident, and we’ll see how it goes,” he said.
“I think we’ve just got to keep on working and keep improving.”
After receiving an injection in self-belief from his latest exploits on the track, Van Niekerk was given an additional confidence boost from Bolt by getting the nod as a potential successor to the Jamaican sprint king’s crown.
Bolt, who won the 100m race in Ostrava in 10.06, was set to retire at the end of the season.
“He’s shown he’s ready for the challenge,” Bolt, who trained with Van Niekerk in Kingston ahead of the last two international campaigns, told AFP.
“He’s really down to earth, he’s really humble, he’s a great person.
“He listens and wants to be good, and if he continues like this he’ll take over track and field.”