17 May 2018

The 400 metres race has proven over time to be a highlight of the IAAF different competitions in the world.

More often than not, the event has received too much attention with all eyes on Botswana’s runners Isaac Makwala, Baboloki Thebe, Karabo Sibanda, Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner, South African World record holder Wayde van Niekerk and Qatari Abdalleleh Haroun.

van Niekerk, who obliterated Michael Johnson’s 400 metres previous mark of 43.18 at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games clocking 43.03, will be out of action the whole of season after sustaining a knee injury while playing touch rugby during the off-season.

van Niekerk is currently in Doha for the injury rehabilitation, and therefore athletics spectators will definitely miss him in action.

The question is now that the 400 metres is proving to be taking the centre stage, who will dethrone Van Niekerk during his absence?

In the first Diamond League meeting in Doha, the event left a lot of people asking questions as to whether van Niekerk’s record will stand for a very long time, like that of Johnson, after Gardiner clocked a Meeting Record, World Lead, National Record of 43.87 in his season opener.

At the same event, Haroun came second with a time of 44.50 followed by Makwala with 44.92. The 400 metres specialists took their war again to the Shanghai Diamond League on Sunday where Gardiner clocked a Meeting Record of 43.99.

Makwala settled for position two with a Season’s Best of 44.23 while Haroun was relegated to position three with 44.51.

Quizzed if they have any ambitions of snatching the WR from the South African athlete, Makwala said it was a fact that they miss him on track because he was one athlete who makes the 400 metres race look very simple.

“Sharing the same track with a World Record holder is a motivation. I am going to miss him on the track because when I run with him I am more comfortable. He makes the race look simple,” he said.

Makwala, however, said his main focus was to defend his Diamond League title and be crowned the 2018 IAAF Continental Cup champion.

“I am in good shape. I have never been in a good form in the beginning of the season like this. To be a World Record holder is a good thing but for now I don’t want to talk about the WR,” he said.

On the other hand, Gardiner said he prepared well this season, adding that he was in a very good shape. “Everything is going pretty well. Training is going well, and if all goes well why not? I will go for the World Record,” he said.

He said van Niekerk was a great athlete.

Haroun said he was in good shape given that he has been in training camp in Rio. He, however, said at the moment he was not in any position to talk about challenging for the World Record.

However, van Niekerk said he was humbled by the fact that his colleagues on track will miss him, adding that he will only return to the track next season as he was currently undergoing rehabilitation in Doha.

Quizzed if he was not worried that his track nemesis will snatch his World Record, he was quick to point out that, “I am the one who is going to break my own World Record when I come back,” he said. ENDS