400M
WHEN Michael Johnson set the world 400m record of 43.18 at the 1999 World Championships, everyone in the stadium in Seville was awestruck and realised it was a mark destined to stand the test of time. The American’s arms and legs powered around the Spanish track like pistons in frighteningly fast fashion. Seville’s nickname is ‘the frying pan of Europe’ and temperatures during the event nudged 40C, but Johnson’s run was the hottest of the championships.
Wayde van Niekerk: lets the world know what he’s done
For many it was an almost untouchable record and not many people expected it to fall during the Rio Olympics. So when Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa scorched to gold in 43.03 it drew a huge, collective gasp from the crowd. The world record had fallen and the 24-year-old has beaten 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada and LaShawn Merritt for good measure.
Final bend: the top three were roughly level before the winner pulled away
No wonder Matthew Hudson-Smith, the British representative, looked pedestrian in comparison. The 21-year-old ran a fine 44.61 after earlier clocking a PB of 44.48 in his semi-final, but he was made to look ordinary after being drawn between Van Niekerk on his outside and James and Merritt on the lanes just inside him.
James and Merritt made up the stagger quickly on Hudson-Smith, passing the Briton down the back straight, but outside them all Van Niekerk, the reigning world champion, was on fire as he scorched around in lane eight on his way to creating history.
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18/08/2016
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