4. Van Niekerk vs Merritt & James
The men’s 400m final remains one of the highlights of the 2015 World Championships and fans will be waiting for a repeat performance as the season unfolds. Going by the sterling credentials of the main actors, it was quite difficult to predict the eventual outcome of the race, but youth won over experience as South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk stole the show with a sublime WL and African Record of 43.38s!
He became the first African man to win the 400m world title as two-time world champion, LaShawn Merritt set a lifetime best of 43.65s while trying to catch up; reigning Olympic GOLD medallist, Kirani James finished in 3rd place. The trio met few days later at the Zurich Diamond League where the order changed as Merritt took the lead, while James and a still-exhausted Van Niekerk followed.
Nevertheless it was James who took the Diamond Race. Van Niekerk would not want to rest on his oars as the Olympics beckon, and would definitely aim to prove that his victory in Beijing was no fluke. He will find a worthy competitor in James who will be looking forward to a successful title defence in Brazil, and would be searching for a game plan that will turn the tide in his favour when the season commences in earnest.
The Grenadian will certainly not give up his title without a fight, and will hope to replicate his performance from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he finished ahead of Van Niekerk to take the crown. USA’s Merritt will need to draw from his wealth of experience, which saw him take the victory for his country in the 4x400m relay in Beijing, despite the antics of a blazing Jamaican team.
Barring any injury, the 29-year old is in good form to challenge the status quo, and will also try to secure a place in the Top 5 on the all-time list as he currently occupies the 6th spot. Of the three sprinters, Van Niekerk is the only one yet to win GOLD in the Olympics. It remains to be seen if his hunger for GOLD will be channeled in the right direction.
I want know if Nigeria has any hope in the coming Rio Olympics. Thanks.
Well, we can only be hopeful. It’s a tough call, but anything can happen.
As long as the rivalry between Nigel AMOS and Rudisha (800m) is not in the list then the expected excitement in the league is incomplete.
Hi Ogopotse, the rivalry between Nijel Amos and David Rudisha is the real deal and cannot be ignored, so we put it in a different article titled ‘Top 6 African Athletics Rivalries in 2016’. Here is the link: https://www.makingofchamps.com/2016/02/01/8321/. Thanks!