Van Niekerk, the next big name
LONDON: Wayde van Niekerk, the athlete identified by Usain Bolt as the next trailblazer for global athletics, was adamant on Wednesday that he was not afraid to take over the responsibility of being the face of his sport.
The day after Bolt had lavished him with praise, the South African Van Niekerk told reporters that he was not intimidated by the expectations being heaped upon him before the World Athletics Championships, which start in London today.
It is perfectly possible that the 25-yearold could upstage Bolt in the Jamaican’s final championship by pulling off a 200 metres/400 metres double that has not been achieved since Michael Johnson in Gothenburg in 1995.
Van Niekerk is also being tipped to threaten the 400m world record of 43.03 seconds that he took from Johnson at the Olympic Games last year and warned at a news conference in London on Wednesday that he was “in the best shape I could be” to deliver again.
“It’s one thing someone saying I can be the next big thing,” Van Niekerk said of Bolt’s words of praise. “But it’s another thing working towards that greatness.
“I’m not intimidated (by the responsibility), you can’t be. This is track and field, this is a dream I need to fight for – and I need to fight for it as hard as I can.”
Van Niekerk joked that he was expecting an invoice from Bolt for all the advice and encouragement the peerless sprinter had given him.
On Tuesday, the Jamaican had told reporters: “Wayde van Niekerk is proving he is a world star. He has broken the 400m world record, ran the fastest 300m ever, and now he’s doing the 200m also. For me, he’s proving that he can step up to the plate.”
It left the South African responding: “All of us have a lot of respect for Usain and have gained motivation from what’s he’s done for track and field. So it’s a massive honour for me to be mentioned in the light that I am right now.
“I need to accept it and take the responsibility.
“It’s definitely a good space to be in. Good to see him supporting me as an athlete and backing me as the athlete I am becoming. It shows that I’m moving in a positive direction as an athlete.” Reuters