Wayde van Niekerk’s world record run on his way to gold in the 400m at the Rio Olympics on Sunday night ranks alongside American Bob Beamon’s 1968 long jump as the greatest athletic achievement in men’s Olympic history. Nearly 31 summer Olympics have come and gone and in the 120 years since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896‚ superhuman feats – most legal‚ some not – have characterised the gathering. But until Sunday night no single moment had quite matched Beamon’s 8.90m in Mexico City 1968. (watch video below)Beamon broke the world record by 55cm – over half a metre – at high altitude. On Sunday night in Rio‚ Van Niekerk threw his name into the conversation of ‘the greatest athletics performance at the Olympics’ by smashing a 17-year-old world record on his way to gold. He stunned onlookers‚ among them Jamaica’s spring king Usain Bolt‚ who couldn’t hide his disbelief when he saw the time. Michael Johnson’s 1999 mark of 43.18 seemed safe but Van Niekerk – running in the unfavoured outside lane eight – crossed the line five metres clear of his nearest rivals in 43.03 seconds. It was stunning; unbelievable almost.He would have beaten Johnson by a metre‚ from lane eight. The previous fastest anyone had run at the Olympics from lane eight was in Athens in 2004 when Grenada’s Alleyne Francique clocked 44.66 in the final to finish fourth. Van Niekerk was 1.63 seconds faster than that‚ which translates to about 13 metres on the track. Johnson’s 1996 Olympic record of 43.49‚ set in Atlanta in 1996‚ was always likely to come under threat considering the quality of the field‚ which included 2012 and 2008 Olympic champions Kirani James and LaShawn Merritt respectively.Van Niekerk served notice when he ran 43.45 on his way to winning the World Championships in Beijing in 2015. In the Olympic final James posted a season’s best 43.76 to take silver‚ as did Merritt who took bronze in 43.85 while another two runners in the final posted national records. World records in sprints are usually achieved in tiny increments‚ but Van Niekerk slice off Johnson’s mark was massive just as Beamon’s leap changed the limits of long jump. Before Beamon launched himself into Mexico City’s thin air with his first jump in the final‚ 8.50m was seen as the Holy Grail of long jumping. Usain Bolt on Van Niekerk: 'I told him in Jamaica he'll break the world record'Win or lose, Usain Bolt was always going to dominate the Olympic headlines on Sunday but Wayde van Niekerk offered his embattled sport some hope for the future beyond the Jamaican's retirement with a stunning world record on the Rio track. With one bound Beamon turned the conversation to whether the nine-metre barrier could be broken. Johnson took the 400m close to the 43-second barrier but after his record stood for 17 years‚ the thought of someone breaking 43 seconds receded. But with one lap of the blue Rio track Van Niekerk has brought the 43 barrier into the spotlight. HONOURABLE MENTIONS:London 2012: 800m – Kenyan David Rudisha lowers his own world record from 1:41.01 to 1:40.91‚ becoming the first man to break the 1:41 barrier.Beijing 2008: 100m – Jamaica’s Usain Bolt wins the first of his three 100m Olympic titles in 9.69 seconds‚ breaking his own world record by 0.03 seconds.Atlanta 1996: 200m – American Michael Johnson takes 0.34 seconds off his own world record‚ recording 19.32 in the final.Barcelona 1992: 400m hurdles – American Kevin Young obliterates Edwin Moses’ record of 47.02 seconds‚ clocking 46.78. Young’s record still stands.Berlin 1936: 200m – American Jesse Owens‚ who had already won the 100m‚ took the sprint double by slashing the 200m world record in 20.7 seconds. - TMG Digital..