Wayde van Niekerk exclusive: "I want to get back to winning gold medals and challenging world records"
World 400m record holder and Olympic gold medallist Wayde van Niekerk made impressive strides in 2022 and 2023, raising the prospects of an epic comeback at Paris 2024. Olympics.com spoke to the South African about rekindling his form.
Athletics
Putting his career-threatening injuries in the rear-view mirror, Wayde van Niekerk is determined to reclaim the prized crowns he had conceded during his recovery and stuttering return.
“I want to be back on the podium and get back to winning gold medals and challenging world records,” the South African athletics superstar told Olympics.com.
Some observers started writing the obituary to Van Niekerk’s career after he failed to reach the final at Tokyo 2020 (in 2021). His second appearance at the global showpiece was a culmination of a disappointing injury-plagued Olympic cycle.
Did his record-breaking career really show signs of ending with a soft whimper? Van Niekerk did not waver in his belief of returning to former glory.
The 31-year-old has adopted the moniker “Wayde Dreamer” on all his social media platforms highlighting his pursuit of what many would consider magical. The kid from Kraaifontein demonstrated the ability to transform these dreams into reality when he won the Olympic 400m gold in world-record time at Rio 2016. Running in lane eight, Van Niekerk crossed the line in 43.03 seconds, wiping out the world record the sport's great Michael Johnson held since 1999 and earning himself a place in Olympic history.
“Tokyo was a big disappointment, and last year (2022), I was in the world championships final. So every year, I see progress and improvement. I have to believe that this year will bring more improvement and I am looking forward to Paris 2024,” Van Niekerk said.
“Hopefully, I will be exactly where I picture myself in the next Olympic Games, ensuring I am ready when the gun goes. I am fully invested and committed in training and what is expected from me.”
Wayde van Niekerk: Back in the mix
In 2022 Van Niekerk showed signs of rekindling the form that saw him become one of track and field’s biggest stars between 2015 and 2017. During that time, he was crowned Olympic champion, won back-to-back one-lap world titles (2015 and 2017) and added a 200m world silver (2017) to his list of accolades.
Highlighting his incredible range across the sprint distances, the South African became the first athlete to produce sub-10, sub-20, sub-31 and sub-44 performances in the 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m, respectively.
In addition to the injury setback at the end of the 2017 season, Van Niekerk announced a split from his long-time coach, Ans Botha, months before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He swapped the creature comforts of his home base in Bloemfontein for the United States to train under Lance Brauman, who also coaches world 400m world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo and two-time reigning 200m world champion Noah Lyles.
The move to the United States did not immediately translate into success on the track, but Van Niekerk has made some serious strides over the last year. He eased his way back into the sport, racing conservatively in 2022, opting for quality instead of quantity.
In July 2022, he raced at his first world championships since 2017, reaching the final in Eugene, where he finished in a creditable fifth place with a time of 44.97s.
“It definitely felt good to be in the mix again and competing against the best in the world. I know that is exactly where I need to be and the competition I need to be exposed to,” Van Niekerk said.
“I was very excited and looking forward to competing against everyone again. It has set me up quite well for the upcoming season.”
Wayde van Niekerk: Back to winning ways
Van Niekerk reserved the best for the end of 2022 when he clocked his fastest time since 2017, beating Grenada's Kirani James at the Gala dei Castelli in Switzerland with a time of 44.33s.
The time and the win over the former world and Olympic champion gave Van Niekerk a boost ahead of the 2023 season, which he hoped would provide a solid base for the ultimate comeback at Paris 2024.
“Finishing off my season with that time was obviously a big confidence booster, and I felt comfortable. It set me up quite well for the off-season and the season we are about to enter. I see it as a positive stepping stone to help me move forward,” Van Niekerk said.
“I use every day as an opportunity to improve myself and strengthen myself. I am looking forward to competing this upcoming season and exposing myself to more and more races so that my body can adapt and be ready for whatever demand is expected.”
Wayde van Niekerk: Eye on the prize
Since breaking the world record at Rio 2016, Van Niekerk has shifted his goals towards becoming the first man to dip below 43 seconds in his signature event. Although that dream has been deferred due to his injury setback, he is confident his audacious ambition is still within reach.
“When I speak about personal growth, breaking the record and going sub-43 is the next step in the 400m, and that would be the natural move for me when it comes to growth," he said.
“I am still in the sport because I believe I have room for growth and can improve. I guess that the mentality at the moment is to improve," Van Niekerk to Olympics.com.
Van Niekerk said he was relishing the opportunity to race against the best athletes in the world and pushing the one-lap event into the realm of what is considered impossible.
The 400 metres has been quite an open event since the South African's injury and subsequent battle to regain form.
Bahamian Steven Gardiner won the 2019 world title before adding Tokyo 2020 gold to his growing stockpile of medals. But Gardiner could not defend his world title in 2022 due to injury, which saw Michael Norman grabbing gold on home soil in Eugene, Oregon.
Van Niekerk said he will use the 2023 season as another opportunity to enter the mix and build on the positive strides he made last year. That includes challenging more world records.
“That has always been my goal. That has always been what I am looking forward to, and with that comes competition and challenges from various competitors," he said. "To get myself to the top, I have to start winning, which is a key focus for my upcoming competitions.
“I’ve experienced gold medals and I have experienced a world record. I’ve experienced winning races, so that is where you want to be.”
Van Niekerk turned his hopes of a return to the podium into reality with five wins out of five, including his fifth national 400m title in an impressive time of 44.17s.
On the international circuit, he made further impressive strides, posting the seventh-fastest time of his career of 44.08s at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland, and also celebrating Diamond League victories in Oslo and London.
He is the fourth-fastest man over one lap this season with only Gardiner (43.74), rising Zambian star Muzala Samukonga (43.91) and Jamaica's Rusheen McDonald (44.03) going faster.