World prize for Wayde?
WAYDE VAN NIEKERK’s could celebrate his coronation as the new sprint king of world athletics when the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year is announced in Monaco this evening.
Walking away with the biggest accolade in global athletics would be the cherry on the top of a stellar season.
Much of the hype ahead of this year’s world championships in London hinged around Van Niekerk’s 200-400m double attempt. To add to the occasion, the championships were also billed as the changing of the guard as Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt brought the curtain down on his illustrious career.
It is Van Niekerk’s consistent performances across distances during and in the build-up to the world championships that has earned him his second nomination for male athlete of the year.
“It is such an honour to be recognised as a finalist again,” Van Niekerk said when he was named as one of the three shortlisted nominees. Just to be mentioned alongside such amazing athletes is special.
“Congratulations and good luck to my fellow finalists.”
In the ultra-competitive world of track and field, Van Niekerk’s fellow nominees Mo Farrah of Great Britain and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim are equally deserving of the ultimate prize.
Qatari beanpole Barshim has been one of world athletics’ biggest stars, and once again proved his world-class form in 2017.
Barshim was one of the most consistent performers this year, wrapping up the perfect season by going undefeated throughout the season, winning 11 competitions.
He won the world title in London before adding the Diamond Trophy. He also became the first jumper in history to leap 2.40m or higher in five successive years.
Farah ended his track and field career by winning a record 10th consecutive outdoor world distance-running title.
He raced to the 10,000m gold before winning the 5000m silver medal and adding the Diamond Trophy.
South Africans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Van Niekerk’s performances on the track would be enough to earn him the going ahead of Barshim and Farah.
The versatile Van Niekerk set new personal best times in the 100, 300, and 400m. The 400m world record holder got his international season off to fast start by breaking the SA 200m record with a time of 19.84 seconds in Jamaica in June.
Ten days later he set a new 100m personal best of 9.94 in Velenje. Rounding off an incredible month of June, Van Niekerk raced to a new world best of 30.81 in the rarely-run 300m distance in Ostrava.
Van Niekerk is the only man to have produced sub-10, sub-20, sub-31 and sub-44 performances at 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m respectively.
The Blitz from Bloem went into the world championships looking to emulate Michael Johnson by going after the 200-400m golden double. Van Niekerk successfully defended his one-lap crown to become only the second South African after Hestrie Cloete’s high-jump double in 2001 and 2003, to defend a world title. He was centimetres short of claiming the double, finishing second in the 200m final.
Even if Van Niekerk misses out on the Male Athlete Male of the Year gong there is still reason to celebrate as his mentor Tannie Ans Botha will be recognised as one of the world’s best coaches.