Wayde Van Niekerk withdraws from ASA Nationals following birth of second child
The athlete’s career has not quite recovered since he suffered a serious knee injury at the end of 2017.
South African athlete, Wayde Van Niekerk. Picture: AFP
JOHANNESBURG - World 400m record holder Van Niekerk has reportedly pulled out of the 2025 Athletics South Africa National.
According to Olympics.com, Van Niekerk and his wife Chesney, welcomed their second child, a boy, on Tuesday morning and the runner has withdrawn for that reason. The couple’s first child was born at the end of 2021.
The 400m world record holder was originally entered in the 100m, 200m, and 4x400m relay in Potchefstroom and will now work towards a season opener in May.
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At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the men's 400m world record holder dropped down to the 200m at Paris 2024, reaching the semi-finals before being eliminated.
The athlete’s career has not quite recovered since he suffered a serious knee injury at the end of 2017.
In 2021, Niekerk severed ties with long-term coach Tannie Ans Botha to join US coach Lance Baumann’s training group in Claremont, Florida. The training group included Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles.
And earlier this year, he split from Baumann after a four-year stint in the United States and came back to train on home soil.