VIDEO: Get to know Wayde van Niekerk

Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa wins the gold medal in the men's 400m final. Picture: Dominic Ebenbichler

Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa wins the gold medal in the men's 400m final. Picture: Dominic Ebenbichler

Published Aug 15, 2016

Share

Wayde van Niekerk ran his way into the heart of the nation on Monday with his world record-breaking performance to win South Africa’s first gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

The 24-year-old – who hails from Kraaifontein in the Western Cape, but relocated to Bloemfontein with his family in his teens – broke Michael Johnson’s mark of 43.18, set in 1999, by clocking 43.03 at the Joao Havelange Olympic Stadium on Sunday night in Brazil (Monday morning SA time).

But now that you know just how good Van Niekerk – a cousin of rugby player Cheslin Kolbe, who won a bronze medal with the Blitzboks in Rio – is on the track, get to know him off it in our video interview conducted earlier this year.

[email protected]

@ashfakmohamed

Related Topics: