Cape Town - Wayde van Niekerk wants to tackle the 100m and 200m in future, but the 23-year-old is focusing all of his attention on the 400m in an Olympic year.
The current one-lap world champion will open his international season at Thursday’s Diamond League in Rome, where he will come up against African neighbour Isaac Makwala from Botswana, who is likely to be his main challenger for top spot at the Olympic Stadium.
Van Niekerk made the headlines earlier this year in the 100m when he became the first athlete in history to run under 10 seconds in the short distance, under 20 in the 200m and under 44 in the 400m.
His 9.98 at the Free State Championships is the joint-third fastest in South African history, behind Akani Simbine’s record 9.96 and Henricho Bruintjies’ 9.97. Bruintjies produced a 9.89 in Italy last Sunday, but the tailwind of 4.4m/s rendered it a wind-assisted time.
Van Niekerk, though, wants to make sure that he grabs the gold medal in the 400m in Rio in August. “I really have a big love for 100 and 200, that is really where I fell in love with the sport, that is why I do what I do today. But I see the 400m as an extra blessing for me. I am just trying to use the opportunities that I have. I have been through a four-year process now with the 400m, been struggling with a lot of injuries with the 100 and 200, so it’s been neglected a bit more than the 400m,” the Cape-born athlete said at a press conference in Rome on Wednesday.
“So at this very moment, I’m fully focused on the 400m and doing a little bit of 200m during the European season. But I think maybe in the future I will start considering the 100 and 200.”
Van Niekerk took it relatively easy earlier in the season, and even virtually jogged to the South African title in Stellenbosch with a 44.98. But he pushed himself at the SA Open Championships on his home track in Bloemfontein last month, where he ran 44.11, the second-fastest time in 2016 behind Grenada’s Olympic champion Kirani James’ 44.08.
James won’t be competing in Rome, but that won’t bother Van Niekerk, who will jet off to Jamaica this weekend for a training camp with Usain Bolt before taking part in the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston on June 11.
“I am pleased with how my season started, and I am grateful for the opportunity, having that chance to improve my 100m time. From there, it’s all about building some good momentum. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to start off my 400m as well, and now it’s time to get kicked off in the European season and try to build some good momentum before we get to the Olympics,” Van Niekerk said.
“We’ve built up some good relationships with (Bolt’s) coach (Glen) Mills on the circuit over the last few months and years at the competitions. So, I’m extremely excited to learn and pick up some good tips for myself as an athlete and hopefully it can benefit me in future.”
Van Niekerk will be joined in the Caribbean by close friend Simbine, who will participate in the 100m in Rome as well. Simbine will hope to be inspired by American star Justin Gatlin, who will be the clear favourite in the absence of Bolt on Thursday.
“I am still coming back from my ankle injury, so my transition around the 50 or 70m mark sometimes gets a little sticky – when I’m trying to put more pressure into the ground and generate more speed. But I have time, within the next month, to get everything worked out and be ready for the Olympic trials,” Gatlin said on Wednesday.
South Africa will have eight athletes in total in Rome, with Caster Semenya the clear favourite in the 800m, having won previous Diamond League meets in Doha and Rabat over the last few weeks. Semenya laid down a marker in Rabat with a blistering 1:56.64, the fastest time in the world this year. But Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba came second in Rabat in 1:57.74, and will want to get one back over the 2009 world champion.
A hotly-contested men’s long jump competition will see South African pair Ruswahl Samaai and Luvo Manyonga take on world champion Greg Rutherford, while Victor Hogan will look to get closer to the magical 70m mark in the discus, where Poland’s Piotr Malachowski has been in top form this year.
World bronze medallist Sunette Viljoen was victorious in her last Diamond League event in Doha early last month in 65.14m, but will come up against world champion Kathrina Molitor of Germany and world record holder Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic on Thursday.
In the 400m hurdles, Wenda Nel came third in Rabat in 54.88, and would want to push harder to get the better of Janeive Russell (Jamaica) and Cassandra Tate (USA), who came first and second respectively.
* Follow @IndyCapeSport on Twitter for live updates of the Rome Diamond League from 8pm on Thursday.