Origins & Early Life

Wayde van Niekerk (South African English: , Afrikaans: [fan ˈnikærk]; born 15 July 1992) is a South African track and field sprinter who competes in the 200 and 400 metres. In the 400 metres, he is the current world and Olympic record holder, having set the record when he won the event at the 2016 Olympics. Van Niekerk was the silver medallist in the 400 m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and took silver in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2013 Summer Universiade. He also represented South Africa at the 2013 and 2015 Athletics World Championships.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

At the 2015 World Championships, he won the gold medal in the 400 metres. He defended his title two years later, in London, where he also won the silver medal in the 200 metres race. In the 2016 Olympic Games men's 400 m, Van Niekerk won the gold medal with a world record time of 43.03 seconds, beating the time of 43.18 seconds set by Michael Johnson in 1999. In 2016, Van Niekerk became the first sprinter in history to have run the 100 metres in under 10 seconds, 200 metres in under 20 seconds, and 400 metres in under 44 seconds. In 2017, after a 30.81 seconds victory in the seldom-run 300 metres distance, breaking Michael Johnson's world-best...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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