South Africa’s Van Niekerk breaks Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old 400m record

Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa has smashed Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old record in the 400m race.

Van Niekerk exploded out of the blocks and never looked back, leaving Kirani James and LaShawn Merritt trailing in his wake to win by yards in a new best time of 43.03 seconds.

Merritt and James set season’s bests but there was no stopping the South African, who, back in March, became the first athlete to have run sub-10 100m, sub-20 200m and sub-44 400m.

Michael Johnson, four-time Olympic gold medallist, was in awe of Van Niekerk after seeing his long-standing record blown away.

“Oh My God!” exclaimed Johnson to BBC One.

“He took it out so quick. I have never seen anything from 200 to 400 like that. He may well have run faster in the second 200, than in the first. Well done to this youngster. A world record.

“That was a massacre from Wayde van Niekerk. He just put those guys away. LaShawn Merritt was shaking his head, thinking ‘I can’t do anything with that.'”

After the race, Van Niekerk said: “I have dreamed of this since forever, since I was a kid. I asked the Lord to carry me through, I even wrote it on my spikes. I am blessed.

“I believed it was possible. I am just glad things went my way tonight. I thank Michael Johnson for setting such a great example for us. I just did my best tonight.”