Van Niekerk making strides in return

South African 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk has continued his progress in returning to the heights he once achieved by winning a second successive event in Switzerland on Monday night.

The 30-year-old ran a season's best 44.33 seconds in the 400m at the Gala dei Castelli in Zurich, a few days after clocking 44.39 seconds in the same event at the pre-programme Diamond League meeting last Thursday.

He came in ahead of 2012 Olympic 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada, who was second fastest in a time of 44.38 seconds.

Van Niekerk's latest time goes down as the 10th-fastest men's 400m time for 2022, showing signs of a resurgence following his freak injury in a charity touch rugby match back in October 2017, a year after he set the world record at the Rio Olympics.

He recently missed out on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after failing to qualify, although he had reached his first final in five years at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon a few weeks prior to the event.

Another South African in the same heat on Monday night was Zakitha Nene, who crossed the line in 45.75 seconds to bag third position.

Akane Simbine also took part in the Men's 100m at the Bellinzona but could only register a fifth-place finish in a time of 10.21, with USA's Brandon Carnes winning the race in 10.04 seconds.

By Web Admin