Wayde van Niekerk steals the show with a World Record in 400

South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk occupied the eighth lane in the 400m final (AP photo)

Published on: Aug 15, 2016 3:57 PM IST

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South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk occupied the eighth lane in the 400m final (AP photo)

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Van Niekerk , from Cape Town, went quickly off the block and it looked as though both Kirani James (left), the London Olympics gold medallist and LaShawn Merritt (US) would eventually reel him in at the bends. But instead, Van Niekerk just kept increasing his lead. (AP Photo)

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Van Niekerk is the first ever runner to go under 10 seconds for the first 100m, 20 seconds for 200m and 44 seconds for 400m. (AP Photo)

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On his way to the 400m gold, Van Niekerk smashed Michael Johnson’s world record timing of 43.18 sec that was set in 1999. (NYT Photo)

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In the process, the South African left two of the most celebrated stars, Kirani James and LaShawn Merritt, in his wake. Here they are fighting to finish in second position. (AP Photo)

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Van Niekerk celebrates after crossing the line. (AP Photo)

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Michael Johnson later said that Van Niekerk could become the next big star after Usain Bolt. (REUTERS Photo)

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Wayde van Niekerk win gave South Africa’s its first gold medal in Rio. (REUTERS photo)

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The South African champion is trained by 74-year-old Anna Botha, whom he thanked after the race for playing a big part in his development. (AP Photo)

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Usain Bolt broke his celebrations after his 100m win to congratulate Van Niekerk. The pair train together in Jamaica. (AP Photo)