8) Isaac Makwala
How does one respond after losing his 400m African Record (AR)…steps out to the track only to set a new one? That was exactly what Makwala did 24 hours after Wayde Van Niekerk pipped his record with a sublime 43.96s run at the Paris Diamond League, erasing the previous 44.01s.
Makwala at the La Chaux-de-Fonds ran a new African Record of 43.72s to become the fastest man on the continent, although Van Niekerk has since gone on to reclaim it.
In our build-up to the World Championships, we listed Makwala as a likely candidate for the 400m title, or at least to finish on the podium. Though he didn’t eventually win it, he pulled together some good races that left people applauding him.
Having started from Lane 9 in the heats, he still came through to finish 3rd in a time of 44.19s and make the semis. He had another Lane 9 to contend with running against the likes of Yousef Masrahi, Rusheen McDonald, Steven Gardiner, yet he pulled out another impressive display to win in 44.11s and secure a place in the final.
Interestingly, Makwala told us that he wasn’t perturbed running from Lane 9, arguing that it helped him to control the races. Makwala was pitched in Lane 4 in the final, but apparently exhausted from the rounds, he missed out on a podium place, but then he had lit up Beijing with glittering performances.
Last year at the African Championships in Marrakech, Makwala won the 400m African title in 44.23s, this year at the African Games in Congo Brazzaville, he added to his haul, making it continental double within a year, crossing the line in 44.35s.
Certainly it wasn’t a bad year for Makwala as he ended the year on a high with a medal….and he would be happy that it is GOLD! He finished 5th in our ratings in 2014, but this year he moved down three places to 8th.
Well done our continent,when it comes to athletics..Africa is the best!!!Big ups to my country Botswana!!