Healthy, happier but realistic Van Niekerk has his heart set on medals in Japan

Veteran track and field star Wayde van Niekerk, looking to win his first world championship silverware in eight years, is heading to the global showpiece in Tokyo carrying a confidence he last displayed before his debilitating knee injury in 2017.

Van Niekerk looked relaxed at OR Tambo International Airport in Joburg before flying to Japan on Monday, and spoke with much gusto about the 4x400m team’s chances, though he offered a more tempered outlook on his own in the 200m.

The athlete ran an impressive 20.07 sec in Budapest in August — the sixth-fastest time of his career — but when asked his thoughts about his expectations for the championships, his first topic of conversation was the relay.

“I think as a team we have a big desire to get ourselves among the medals for the 4x4. That’s really been something I wanted to be part of for a very long time,” said the 33-year-old owner of the 43.03 sec 400m world record, who intends focusing on the 200m and 100m for the last few years of his career.

His interest in the 400m is purely for the relay.

Van Niekerk, the 400m world champion at Beijing 2008 and London 2017, has run only one 400m this year, but the 44.91 he posted in late July ranks him the third-fastest South African behind Zakithi Nene, the quickest in the world this year with his 43.76 from May, and Lythe Pillay.

“I’m healthy, looking good, body’s been responding well,” added Van Niekerk, who was part of the 4x400m outfit that qualified for the Paris Olympics at the 2024 World Relays, but pulled out because of niggles and injuries since then.

In France he fell out of the 200m in the semifinals and withdrew from the relay due to a back injury.

“I didn’t really want to use it as an excuse. It is very frustrating because you want to be in a position to represent the guys, but then also seeing the position we were in.

“I really felt a bit pressured because I didn’t want to hinder them because I knew the guys without me stood a chance of medalling.”

Gardeo Isaacs, Nene, Pillay and Antonie Nortjé finished fifth in a 2 min 58.12 sec national record. Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Nene won gold at the 2025 World Relays in 2:57.50.

They will probably have to go even faster if they want to reach the podium in Tokyo.

“This time around I’ve set my heart on that, whether there’s niggles or not, I’m going to help the guys and see what happens.”

Van Niekerk spoke about the effects of his health and injury issues.

“It’s been such a rollercoaster to be healthy these past few years and I think it has given me a bit of a knock when it comes to confidence and so on.”

His last performance had lifted his outlook.

“I’m using [that] as a reference for myself and that was a massive positive. It has put me in a position where I believe a bit more and I feel like I’m in a good position to perform and do well.”

However, he was taking a more measured approach to the 200m.

“It’s been years waiting to be in good shape competing in the 200m. I’m in a good space and place, obviously not close to medal contention quite yet.

“I have to be realistic, but … we’re taking it step by step — heats, semifinals and try to use the competition to get some good times.”

American Noah Lyles holds the 200m world lead of 19.63 and another six men, including Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, have been quicker than the South African’s 19.84 personal best this season.

The way Van Niekerk ran the 20.07, even slowing up as he finished second behind Jamaican Brian Levell, suggested he is in sub-20 shape.

“I’ve been putting in a lot of hard work, but it’s all about the day.”

He said he needed to run his own race without worrying about what his rivals were doing.

“The race I did, the gentleman from Jamaica went out quite hard and I held on to him. I think once I start putting the puzzle together and start running my own race and not having to use the guys around me for momentum, then who knows.

“Anything’s possible.”