Take up the baton
The 33-year-old van Niekerk could extend his career as a member of South Africa’s 4x400m relay, as he has recently shown interest in the team event.
National 400m champion Zakithi Nene revealed to Olympics.com that Van Niekerk had indicated that he was available for the relay.
“We’ve got Wayde’s buy-in, too. So, he’s also keen on running relays just as much as we are,” Nene told Olympics.com.
“For most of these athletes, myself included, Wayde has been a role model. Having him in that setup, even if he doesn’t run, adds much more to the team than just being a relay runner. I think he’ll get the guys believing even more in themselves, so I think that’s good to have.”
As he enters the twilight of his career, van Niekerk remains hopeful that he can rekindle some of the magic that brought him immense success between 2015 and 2017. The South African may be considered an underdog in the 200m at these world championships, but the ghost of 2015 will be there to spur him on.
“I am grateful that I can still compete at a competitive level. Obviously, the standard I set for myself is extremely high, and it can be challenging when you are not breaking records and winning gold medals,” he said.
“But because of the standard I have set for myself, I still believe that I can do something great. It is obviously not that simple, but I can use 2015 as a reference and even before 2015, when I had moments where I questioned myself and what the future holds. So, having the reference of being a world champion and Olympic champion is really something I use today as motivation.”