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Agence France-Presse

South African Wayde Van Niekerk smashed Michael Johnson’s long-standing 400m record when he stormed to Olympic gold on Sunday.
Van Niekerk, running in the unfavoured lane eight, blasted off the final corner to time 43.03 seconds, 0.15 quicker than Johnson’s previous world best set in Seville in 1999, a record that had taken on mythical-like standing.
“I believed I could get the world record,” the 24-year-old South African said.
“I’ve dreamed of this medal since forever. I am blessed.”
WATCH: golden moments on Day 9 at the Rio Olympics


Defending champion Kirani James of Grenada took silver in 43.76, with American Lashawn Merritt bronze (43.85).
“Congrats to Wayde on the new world record. I’m happy to be part of a race that made history. We have put this sport on a pedestal,” James said, adding that 400m runners normally have the habit of tying up as they hit the home stretch.
“Usually that’s what happens, the guys slow down a bit! But when you keep going like that, there’s going to be world records. It shows that there’s always room for guys to improve. He just did that and exemplified that.”
Despite Van Niekerk being world champion, his underwhelming heat runs had meant all eyes were on James and Merritt.
The Grenadian set off fast in lane five, Merritt on his coat-tails on the inside with Van Niekerk running solo out wide.
WATCH: relive the action involving Hong Kong athletes on Day 9


The trio had produced one of the races of the year in the 400m final at the 2015 world championships in Beijing, all going under 44 seconds as the South African emerged victorious.
A night to remember: a quick dash of main man Bolt is the Rio Games’ panacea, for now
And it was the same again in Rio, Van Niekerk exploding off the last bend and holding his form through the line in an extraordinary run as all eight runners finished under 44.61.
“I have never seen anything like that,” Johnson told BBC, for whom he works as an analyst.
“It is amazing. That was a massacre by Van Niekerk. This young man has done something truly special. He could go under 43 seconds – I tried and failed.
“Being out in lane eight helped him, he was away from James and Merritt. He was running a time-trial.
“That was some style he broke it in,” Johnson said of Van Niekerk, who made sprint history by becoming the first athlete to dip under benchmark times in the 100, 200 and 400m.
Having already clocked 19.94 seconds and 43.48 in the 200 and 400m, Van Niekerk timed 9.98 in the 100m in March to set an athletics first.
Touch down: Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan has landed in Rio and can already feel the Olympic spirit
Merritt, who was Olympic champion at the Beijing Games in 2008 before serving a 21-month ban for testing positive for a banned steroid in 2010, hailed Van Niekerk.
“It was a crazy race, a great moment in history. The world record was broken, the best man won,” Merritt said.
“I didn’t handle the last part as well as I wanted to. But I got a medal, I’ll take it, get my day’s rest and get ready for heats of the 200m.
“I knew it was going to be fast but I didn’t think it was going to be 43.00-fast.
“He ran his heart out. You’ve got to run it from the start to run 43.0.”
Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith finished last in 44.61, saying: “It was just mental, how quick that was, to be part of that.
“I thought I was gaining on them and then he (Van Niekerk) kicked in the back straight and I thought, ‘What was that?’.”




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Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Wayde Van Niekerk ‘massacres’ the legendary Michael Johnson’s world mark to win 400 metres

South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk poses by the results board after breaking the world record in his 400m final triumph. Photo: AFP

South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk competes to win the Men's 400m final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Jeff PACHOUD

South Africa's Wayde Van Niekerk, wins the men's 400-meter final during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk celebrates winning the Men's 400m Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Johannes EISELE

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South African runner smashes American’s long-standing 400m record as he storms to Olympic gold


Wayde Van Niekerk ‘massacres’ the legendary Michael Johnson’s world mark to win 400 metres

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}South African runner smashes American’s long-standing 400m record as he storms to Olympic gold

WATCH: golden moments on Day 9 at the Rio Olympics

South African runner smashes American’s long-standing 400m record as he storms to Olympic gold