Happy Birthday Wayde van Niekerk!

Wayde Van Niekerk on his way to winning the men's 400m final during the Beijing 2015 IAAF World Championships. File photo: Wu Hong
Wayde Van Niekerk on his way to winning the men's 400m final during the Beijing 2015 IAAF World Championships. File photo: Wu Hong
Wayde van Niekerk (435) wins the mens 400m finals during Day 2 of the 2016 ASA SA Senior Championships at Coetzenburg Stadium, Stellenbosch on 16 April 2016 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
Wayde Van Niekerk reacts after winning the men's 400m final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing. Photo: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Sprinting sensation Wayde van Niekerk is starting to cash in on his new-found fame as endorsements are flooding in. File Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon
Wayde Van Niekerk spent nearly two weeks training with Usain Bolt and his coach. Photo: ETTORE FERRARI
World 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk Photo: CLAUDIO ONORATI/EPA
epa04899062 Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa falls on the track after winning the men's 400m final during the Beijing 2015 IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium, also known as Bird's Nest, in Beijing, China, 26 August 2015. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
Cape Town-160519-South African sprinter and World 400 metre champion Wayde van Niekerk (left), who became the first man in history to run faster than 10 seconds for 100 metres, 20 seconds for 200 metres and 44 seconds for 400 metres, donates R500 000 of his winnings to the Grootte Schuur Hospital neonatal unit for premature babies. Wayde was himself a premature baby, weighing only 900grams at birth. Accepting the Cheque is Groote Schuur CEO Dr Shavna Patel. Picture Jeffrey Abrahams.
Cape Town-160519-South African sprinter and World 400 metre champion Wayde van Niekerk, who became the first man in history to run faster than 10 seconds for 100 metres, 20 seconds for 200 metres and 44 seconds for 400 metres, donates R500 000 of his winnings to the Grootte Schuur Hospital neonatal unit for premature babies. Wayde was himself a premature baby, weighing only 900grams at birth. Picture Jeffrey Abrahams.

Published Jul 15, 2016

SA running sensation Wayde van Niekerk turns 24 today. Independent Media wishes him many happy returns ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio.

Van Niekerk is considered a serious medal prospect for #TeamSA.

At the 2015 IAAF World Championships, van Niekerk won gold in the 400 metres with a personal best time of 43.48 seconds, making him, the fourth fastest person in history, and the fastest non-American.

On March 12, 2016 he became the 107th athlete to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres. That made him the first individual to break 10 seconds for 100 metres, 20 seconds for 200 metres and 44 seconds for 400 metres.

IOL