Sky’s the limit for 400m record-breaker

RIO DE JANEIRO — Wayde van Niekerk (picture) warned that the “sky was the limit” after smashing Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old 400m record when he roared to Olympic gold.

“Achieving what I just did, I think the sky’s the limit. There’s no way I’m going to limit myself, I’m just going to try and better myself each and every time I race,” said the South African.

The 24-year-old, running in the unfavoured lane eight, blasted off the final corner to win in 43.03s, 0.15 quicker than Johnson’s world best set in Seville in 1999, a record that had taken on an almost mythical status.

“I can’t even tell you what happened in the race, I was blind all the way!” van Niekerk said. “As I got to the finish line, I was expecting one of them to catch me. I crossed the line, I looked left and there was no one and I thought ‘what’s going on?’ That gave me motivation to keep pushing. I still have to pinch myself on what just happened.”

Van Niekerk said he had taken inspiration from silver and bronze medallists Kirani James and LaShawn Merritt, as well as Johnson and Jamaican Usain Bolt, who made history in the 100m gold straight after the South African.

The two gold medallists embraced on the track of the Olympic Stadium in what van Nierkerk said was a poignant moment.

“There are guys who have inspired me, Usain Bolt, Michael Johnson, they’re amazing guys and I’ve learnt from them,” he said. “Even the guys I’ve run against today, Kirani James and Laswhan Merrit, they’re guys who inspire me.

“I’m still amazed just being here among all these great athletes. In the last Olympics in London, I was sitting at home watching these guys do their thing and today I’m in the mix with them and have the opportunity to run my best performance.”

Bolt called van Niekerk’s performance “brilliant”. “When he got the world record it was like ‘wow’,” he said. “I’m really happy for him, really proud of him, he did extremely well.”

Van Nierkerk was asked directly whether he was doping.

“I know I’m not, so what else can I say?” he replied. “You can’t be everyone’s favourite, but what I can do is control the controllables, just be the best athlete I can be and stay as focused as I can be.”

Van Niekerk played down being drawn in the outside lane. “I don’t think any athlete really wants to be in lane eight, but when you have it, you embrace it,” he said. AFP