Wayde van Niekerk set for international season
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The Bloemfontein and world 400m sprinting sensation, Wayde van Niekerk, departed for Rome in Italy on Monday for the start of his international season.
Van Niekerk, who was crowned the 400m champion in 2015 when he beat Grenada’s Kirani James and the USA’s LaShawn Merritt in the final at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, has been tipped as a serious favourite to win gold at the 2016 Olympics Games in in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Thus far, Van Niekerk has only competed in the South Africa this season, but will be shifting his focus this week and compete in the Rome leg of the IAAF Diamond League, which takes place on Thursday evening.
OFM Sport caught up with Van Niekerk before his departure. The sprinter said he is happy with the way things have gone for him, despite being denied a sub-44 second time at the recent ASA South African Open Championship in Bloemfontein.
Van Niekerk, who was crowned the 400m champion in 2015 when he beat Grenada’s Kirani James and the USA’s LaShawn Merritt in the final at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, has been tipped as a serious favourite to win gold at the 2016 Olympics Games in in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Thus far, Van Niekerk has only competed in the South Africa this season, but will be shifting his focus this week and compete in the Rome leg of the IAAF Diamond League, which takes place on Thursday evening.
OFM Sport caught up with Van Niekerk before his departure. The sprinter said he is happy with the way things have gone for him, despite being denied a sub-44 second time at the recent ASA South African Open Championship in Bloemfontein.
