Wayde van Niekerk eyes 2021 Olympics, 400m world record

Over two years since tearing his ACL, the Olympic 400m champion is ready to fight for another world record

outh African 400m Olympic and world champion, Wayde van Niekerk, says he is ready to return to world class racing after tearing his ACL in a charity rugby match in November 2017 and subsequently being sidelined by injury for over two years. The runner—who also owns a world championships silver medal in the 200m—told the Olympic Channel that he is back to training and ready to go all in for the 2021 Olympics and a shot at breaking his 400m world record of 43.03. Before his season was put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak, van Niekerk won three races in South Africa at two separate meets. He ran a 10.10-second 100m and 20.31 in the 200m on February 22, and a week later he won a 400m race, posting a 47.42. These times were all far off his PBs of 9.94 for the 100m, 19.84 in the 200m and 43.03 for the 400m, but they were his first competitive runs in two years, and now that races are cancelled until further notice, he has more time to build his fitness and return to where he was before his injury