South Africa's 400m gold medalist, Niekerk hits untouchable record
Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:58:am Sports
3.1K By sosa hills
The South African sprinter, Wayde van Niekerk, broke Michael Johnson's 17-year-old world record on Sunday night in Rio de Janeiro, leaving two of the greatest one-lap runners of this era in his dust. He said he felt someone was strongly after him as he cruised home for the gold.
Van Niekerk finished 0.15 seconds faster than Johnson ran in 1999, setting a mark considered one of the almost u n t o u c h a b l e records in track.
"I thought someone was going to catch me," van Niekerk explained. "I felt very alone at the end."
The 24-year-old Van Niekerk leaned at the finish line, which he really didn't need to do as Kirani James of Grenada and LaShawn Merritt of the Unites States weren't even in the picture.
James, the defending Olympic champion, finished with the silver and Merritt, who won gold in Beijing, hung on for bronze.
Nishikori, 26, had never been past the quarter-finals at an Olympic Games.
"I was running blind all the way," van Niekerk said. "I thought someone was going to catch me what's going on, what's going on, and it gave me motivation to keep on pushing."
Van Niekerk finished 0.15 seconds faster than Johnson ran in 1999, setting a mark considered one of the almost u n t o u c h a b l e records in track.
"I thought someone was going to catch me," van Niekerk explained. "I felt very alone at the end."
The 24-year-old Van Niekerk leaned at the finish line, which he really didn't need to do as Kirani James of Grenada and LaShawn Merritt of the Unites States weren't even in the picture.
James, the defending Olympic champion, finished with the silver and Merritt, who won gold in Beijing, hung on for bronze.
Nishikori, 26, had never been past the quarter-finals at an Olympic Games.
"I was running blind all the way," van Niekerk said. "I thought someone was going to catch me what's going on, what's going on, and it gave me motivation to keep on pushing."
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