This is 2023. Last month, in South Africa, Wayde Van Niekerk ran 44.17, the world leader. It was his fastest time since 2017 when Wayde took gold in the 400m and silver in the 200m in London 2017.
The long road back needs to be appreciated. Wayde’s faith, support team, work ethic, and coaching all played major parts.
This interview was done in 2021, just around the adidas Boost Boston Games. Sandra Nel Kurmann put these opportunities for us together, and Wayde was very thoughtful in his discussion of how he was coming back.
There is a huge lesson for all of us. Patience is key, faith is key, and hard work is key in our sport.
We wish Wayde Van Niekerk the very best wishes in 2023.
Wayde Van Niekerk will be competing in Oslo in June for the very first time!
Special thanks to adidas Boost Boston Games, Wayde Van Niekerk, and Sandra Nel Kurman.
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.
