In a remarkable men's 400 metres final at the 2015 World Championships, in which all three medalist
broke 44 seconds, it was twenty three year old Wayde Van Niekerk who won, ahead of Olympic Champion
Kirani James and defending champion LaShawn Merritt. Merritt's time was the fastest ever by
a 400m runner not winning the race. The trio are pictured above racing to the finish line.
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|
|
|
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1.
|
Wayde |
VAN NEIBERK
|
RSA |
43.48 |
WL, AR |
2.
|
LaShawn |
MERRITT |
USA |
43.65 |
PB |
| 3. |
Kirani |
JAMES |
GRE |
43.78
|
SB |
| 4. |
Luguelin |
SANTOS |
DOM
|
44.11 |
NR |
| 5. |
Isaac |
MAKWALA |
BOT |
44.63 |
|
| 6. |
Rabah |
YOUSIF |
GBR |
44.68 |
|
| 7. |
Machel |
CADENIO |
TTO |
45.06 |
|
| 8. |
Yousef |
MASRAHI |
KSA |
45.15 |
|
Wayde van Niekerk is picture during his heat of the men's 400 metres, three days before
the final. He recorded a time of 44.42 followed by a 44.31 in his semi final.
Photo G. Herringshaw. ©
The following year at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Wayde nearly became the first man
in the history of the event to break the 43 seconds barrier. He won the 400 metres Gold medal
with a new World Record of 43.03 seconds, beating Michael Johnson's 1999 time of 43.18
2016 Olympic Games men's 400m final. Rio de Janeiro.
| 1. |
Wayde van Niekerk |
South Africa
|
43.03 |
World Record |
| 2. |
Kirani James |
Grenada |
43.76
|
SB
|
| 3. |
LaShawn Merritt |
United States |
43.85
|
SB
|
| 4. |
Machel Cedenio |
Trinidad and Tobago |
44.01
|
NR
|
| 5. |
Karabo Sibanda |
Botswana |
44.25
|
PB
|
| 6. |
Ali Khamis |
Bahrain |
44.36
|
NR
|
| 7. |
Bralon Taplin |
Grenada |
44.45
|
|
| 8. |
Matthew Hudson-Smith |
Great Britain |
44.61
|
|