Wayde van Niekerk sets new world record!

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Wayde van Niekerk is the world’s best in yet another athletics event! The Olympic champion in the 400m set a new world record in the little-run 300m at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic on Wednesday night. The IAAF will officially regard it as a “world’s best”, as the 300m is a seldom-run event. But nevertheless, Van Niekerk still broke Michael Johnson’s previous mark of 30.85, set in Pretoria in 2000, by running 30.81 on Wednesday night! WORLD BEST of 30.81 by @WaydeDreamer over 300m in Ostrava! — IAAF (@iaaforg) June 28, 2017

Not only did the 24-year-old South African beat Johnson, Van Niekerk also went past Usain Bolt’s Golden Spike meeting record of 30.97 in the process.

Van Niekerk’s previous best in the 300m was 31.03, which he ran in Kingston, Jamaica last year.

Van Niekerk also holds the 400m world record, with a time of 43.03 in winning a gold medal at last year’s Rio Olympics, where he also surpassed Johnson’s mark of 43.18.

Up against a relatively strong field on Wednesday night, including Botswana’s 400m star Isaac Makwala and young South African sprinter Clarence Munyai, Van Niekerk was his usual self out of the blocks, quickly building up a lead.

He was soon up on the shoulder of Makwala on his outside, and as he entered the home straight, he was out in front all on his own.

.@WaydeDreamer is now the first man in history to go:



sub-10 for 100m

sub-20 for 200m

sub-31 for 300m

sub-44 for 400m — IAAF (@iaaforg) June 28, 2017

It all came down to whether he would beat Johnson’s world best, and Van Niekerk stretched at the finishing line to eclipse the old mark by 0.04 seconds.

Van Niekerk will next be in action in Lausanne, Switzerland on July 6, where he will compete in the 400m.

IOL Sport

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