VAN NIEKERK IN CRUISE CONTROL

South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk coasts to victory in the 400 meters at the world championships.

LONDON — If it seemed as though there were miles between Wayde van Niekerk and his closest competition Tuesday — well, that wasn’t so far from the truth.

On a chilly evening in which the South African sprinter eased up before the finish line and still won his second straight 400-meter world title by 0.43 seconds, the man who was expected to give him the toughest test wasn’t even allowed in the stadium.

The stomach virus that hit a number of athletes at the world championships earlier in the week morphed into a full-fledged mess a few hours before the 400 final, when video surfaced of Isaac Makwala of Botswana — who has pushed Van Niekerk in races all season — being escorted away from the athletes’ entrance to the stadium.

Makwala insisted he felt fine. But he vomited Monday before the heats of his other race, the 200 meters, and the IAAF said doctors checked him, determined he had norovirus and, per the recommendation of health regulators in Britain, told him he had to stay off the premises for 48 hours.

America’s brightest moment came from Sam Kendricks, who was the only pole vaulter to clear 5.95 meters and captured his country’s third gold medal of the meet.

Former UNM Lobo and NCAA champion Courtney Frerichs competes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase heats, which begin today at 12:05 p.m. MT.