Wayde van Niekerk says his coach wants him to pace himself better as he readies for World Champs

22 February 2017 - 17:21 By Claire Keeton
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Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa wins the mens 400m final and sets a new world record of 43.03 seconds during the evening session on Day 9 Athletics of the 2016 Rio Olympics at Olympic Stadium on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa wins the mens 400m final and sets a new world record of 43.03 seconds during the evening session on Day 9 Athletics of the 2016 Rio Olympics at Olympic Stadium on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Image: Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images

Olympian 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk would like to run “a few 100s and 200s in South Africa” while in training for the World Champions in August.

“If coach allows me I will do a few 200s but she does not like the 100s. We have a debate which changes every day‚” he said‚ smiling at his coach Tannie Ans Botha seated across the room.

Van Niekerk‚ Botha and his mother Odessa Swarts were at the neonatal ward at Groote Schuur Hospital on Wednesday to support the Newborns Groote Schuur Trust.

  • Wayde was a wee one - now the athletics giant is helping premature babiesOlympian gold medallist Wayde van Niekerk‚ whose life hung on a thread when he was born two months premature‚ on Wednesday gave hope to mothers he met at the neonatal ICU at Groote Schuur Hospital. 

The 400m world record holder said he trusts his team‚ his coach‚ his family and T-Systems‚ his partner in the Wayde Dreamer Foundation‚ to manage his time and the demands on him.

“I’m still a bit busy and coach is slowly but surely taking a few jabs at me that I need to slow down and get some consistency in my training‚” Van Niekerk said.

  • Siv Ngesi defends Wayde van Niekerk against haters It seems like Wayde van Niekerk has a full-time bodyguard in the form of Siv Ngesi.  

“Training is always tough whether you have won a medal or not but I’m putting in hard work to achieve as much as I can. I’m building up towards the World Champs.”

The International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships will be held in London in August.

- TMG Digital/The Times

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