On the comeback: trailSA can bank on Wayde van Niekerk’s domination of international competition again. Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images
“Wayde, we missed you.” This headline might just be the difference in taking world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk to his next event after he felt like quitting athletics because of injury.
“If you make sure that every newspaper [headline] says ‘Wayde, we missed you’, maybe that will be my good luck [charm],” quipped Van Niekerk.
READ: Pirates star Thembinkosi Lorch found guilty of assault
He was responding to a City Press question during his post-race interview at the Athletics SA Senior Track and Field Championships in April.
When we are down, you guys are the ones who [must provide] the words that will encourage us. We’ve got a team filled with great talent.
This was shortly after he had reclaimed his national 400m title in a quick dash of 44.17s. The feat, at the national event at the McArthur Athletics Stadium in Potchefstroom in the North West, was Van Niekerk’s first crown since he defended his world title at the World Championships in London, UK, in 2017.
The sprinter is still nowhere near his 43.03s world record he set at the 2016 Olympic Games.
He only recently returned from a career-threatening knee injury that stalled his progress between 2017 and 2019 and continues to improve.
Last weekend, Van Niekerk clocked another fast time at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, where he won the 400m race in 44.21s.
“Running fast times in two different conditions – one at altitude and the other in wet weather – shows some consistency and I’m using it as a positive as I make gradual progress,” Van Niekerk told World Athletics.
He was referring to a heavy downpour at the start of the event in Kingston, compared with the conditions he ran under in Potchefstroom two months ago.
READ: Galaletsang is fresh hope for SA women in comrades marathon
But the sprint ace will face his biggest test of the season at the Diamond League meet in Norway on Saturday.
At the Oslo event, Van Niekerk will line up alongside former 400m world champion Kirani James of Grenada and European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith of the UK.
The field also includes Muzala Samukonga (20), the Zambian who ran a blistering 43.91s at the Botswana Gold Grand Prix in Gaborone in April.
In fact, Samukonga’s time eclipsed Van Niekerk’s mark in Potchefstroom as the fastest over the 400m so far this season.
But, based on his steady progress, Van Niekerk has revived hope that the South African track and field team could finally end its dry spell in major competitions at the next World Athletics Championships in Hungary in August.
Medals have been hard to come by in the last three major competitions.
Team SA returned empty-handed from the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019 and from the Covid-delayed global meeting in Oregon, US, last year.
There were also no medals from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in Japan.
Van Niekerk is one of 10 Team SA members who have already attained their qualifying times for the August 19 to 27 championships in Budapest.
Since he split from his long time coach Anna “Tannie Ans” Botha in February 2021, “Wayde Dreamer” has been in the US training under renowned sprints coach Lance Brauman.
His training group includes women’s 400m world champion, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and two-time 200m world champion Noah Lyles.
READ: R1.2 million Comrades carrot dangled in front of South African runners
With another win, and, potentially, a fast time in Oslo on Saturday loading, Van Niekerk will certainly want to prove that he is worth a headline that South Africa missed him indeed.