How can a man jog the last dozen or more metres of a 400m final and
still clock 43.98 on a chilly night - ask Wayde van Niekerk ?
For that is what he did in retaining his World Championship 400 metres
The photo above was taken with 20m still to travel so he is in full flow.
London Olympic Stadium, England.
Final men's 400 metres. 2017 World Athletics Championship.
| 1. |
VAN NIEKERK
|
Wayde |
South Africa (RSA) |
43.98 |
|
| 2. |
GARDINER |
Steven |
Bahamas (BAH) |
44.41 |
|
| 3. |
HAROUN |
Abdalelah
|
Qatar (QAT) |
44.48 |
SB |
| 4. |
THEBE |
Baboloki
|
Botswana (BOT) |
44.66 |
|
| 5. |
ALLEN |
Nathon
|
Jamaica (JAM) |
44.88 |
|
| 6. |
GAYE |
Demish
|
Jamaica (JAM) |
45.04 |
|
| 7. |
KERLEY |
Fred |
United States (USA) |
45.23 |
|
| 8. |
MAKWALA |
Isaac |
Botswana (BOT) |
DNS |
|
Below Wayde trots over the finish line of the 400m final.
In his heat and semi final Wayde was in full flow down the back straigh
as the images below show.
400m heat on 5th August 45.27 seconds.
Semi-final on 6th August 44.22 seconds.
Later at the Championships Wayde attempted a double by winning
the 200m and 'failed' by a very small margin as the times below indicate.
Men's 200 metres Final. 2017 World Championships. London.
| 1. |
GULIYEV |
Ramil |
Turkey (TUR) |
20.09
|
|
| 2. |
van NIEKERK
|
Wayde |
South Africa (RSA)
|
20.11
|
|
| 3. |
RICHARDS |
Jereem |
Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)
|
20.11 |
|
| 4. |
MITCHELL-BLAKE |
Nethaneel |
Great Britain (GBR)
|
20.24 |
|
| 5. |
WEBB |
Ameer |
United States (USA) |
20.26
|
|
| 6. |
MAKWALA |
Isaac |
Botswana (BOT)
|
20.44
|
|
| 7. |
SANI BROWN |
Abdul Hakim |
Japan (JPN)
|
20.63
|
|
| 8. |
YOUNG |
Isiah |
United States (USA) |
20.64
|
|
2022 World Championship. Oregon, U.S.A.
Final men's 400 metres.
1.
|
Michael Norman
|
United States (USA)
|
44.29
|
|
(43.45 PB set in 2019)
|
|
|
2.
|
Kirani James
|
Grenada (GRN)
|
44.48
|
|
(43.74 PB set in 2014 NR)
|
|
|
3.
|
Matthew Hudson-Smith
|
Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
|
44.66
|
(44.38 semi)
|
(44.35 PB set in 2022 NR)
|
|
|
4.
|
Champion Allison
|
United States (USA)
|
44.77
|
|
(43.79 PB set in Oregan 2022)
|
|
|
5.
|
Wayde van Niekerk
|
South Africa (RSA)
|
44.97
|
|
(43.03 WR set in 2016)
|
|
|
6.
|
Bayapo Ndori
|
Botswana (BOT)
|
45.29
|
(44.87 heat PB)
|
|
|
|
7.
|
Christopher Taylor
|
Jamaica (JAM)
|
45.30
|
(44.97 semi SB)
|
|
|
|
8.
|
Jonathan Jones
|
Barbados (BAR)
|
46.13
|
|
(44.43 PB set in 2022 NR)
|
|
|