- Title: Van Niekerk wants to rewrite history books and ready to be the next Bolt
- Date: 2nd August 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 2, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SOUTH AFRICAN WAYDE VAN NIEKERK WALKING ON TO STAGE FOR A NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE VAN NIEKERK TALKING NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, SAYING: "How would... I don't think I aim for a specific status but I think when it comes to performances I'd like to believe that I can continue growing, continue doing great things, continue changing history books. At this moment I have something that no other athlete has. Like you've mentioned which is the 100 (metres) 200 (metres) and 400 (metres) (VAN NIEKERK IS THE FIRST ATHLETE TO RUN UNDER 10 SECONDS IN THE 100 METRES, 20 SECONDS IN THE 200 METRES AND 44 SECONDS IN THE 400 METRES) but at the same time I want to have times that no one else has achieved. And that's what, that's what where I'm aiming towards so I'll aim for the impossible and I have to land somewhere along there." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, RESPONDING TO PRAISE FROM USAIN BOLT WHO BELIEVES VAN NIEKERK CAN BE THE NEXT SUPER STAR IN ATHLETICS, SAYING: "Yes, I mean it's a massive honour, especially the person he is and what he's done for track and field and and the great heights that he has achieved as an athlete. It's always massive to get the recognition from a great athlete like Usain Bolt but it also takes a lot of responsibility now for me to go out there and work for that recognition that I've got and obviously I appreciate it every positive seed that gets sown in my life." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, TALKING ABOUT WHAT DEFINES GREATNESS AS AN ATHLETE, SAYING: "I think it's a personal preference. I mean it's the same thing when it comes to... well let's say if you look at the English Premiership League; we've got great teams but everybody has their own personal preference so what you believe is great might not be the same belief as someone else. So for me as an athlete I think it's really just about making sure I achieve as much great things as I can in the areas that I want to and what I believe I can and then I'm more than satisfied with me as an athlete." MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE THINKS IS MORE IMPORTANT - GOLD MEDALS OR WORLD RECORDS, SAYING: "I wouldn't say either of them has or should be compared when it comes to importance because it comes with the achievements and it comes with what I do and and also being at record status at this moment it should become part of my mindset to be able to continuously break records otherwise I'm not growing as an athlete and why be an athlete if you're not going to believe in growth?" REPORTER, SAYING: "I mean you should just say what you need to get better every year." VAN NIEKERK: "Exactly. Exactly." REPORTER, SAYING: "This year it's the 200m and 400m." VAN NIEKERK: "Yes, so it's always challenging yourself and being able to just see what you can handle and where you can be as an athlete." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, TALKING ABOUT HIS FORM THIS SEASON. SAYING: "Yes I'm feeling quite quite good. I think all my events actually have bettered this far and that's the 100 (metres), the 200 (metres) and the 300 (metres) and then the 400 metres when you look at entering the European season I've started off with quite great performances for the year so I'm definitely in a good space when it comes to producing great performances." VAN NIEKERK AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, TALKING ABOUT WINNING THE 200 METRES, SAYING: "It's baby steps. Obviously we still have six full races that we need to run before I can confidently say that but obviously I back myself and I believe that I've worked hard enough to be where I am and I deserve to be where I am and it's now just time to put in the hard work to obviously allow that opportunity to grow and then let it become a reality." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, TALKING ABOUT HIS RIVALS IN THE 200 METRES, SAYING: "I've never competed against against him yet (Andre De Grasse). So I can't really say much but obviously as an athlete he's doing quite well but there's so much more great athletes as well that are doing quite a while. I mean we can name quite a lot. I mean I've got Akani Simbine someone that I've been competing with more consistently than what I have De Grasse and I think Akani is just as great as De Grasse and I think I prefer saying that Akani is one of the greats that would push me as an athlete because I've came a long journey with him already as a South African athlete and I'd like to see me and him reach a great height as South Africans." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, TALKING ABOUT GRENADA'S KIRANI JAMES MISSING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DUE TO INJURY, SAYING: "I've noticed that obviously it plays a massive role especially in your drive and your motivation to who is alongside you in the races and so on and obviously my heart goes out to Kirani (James) as well because I mean he's been like I said about the Borlee brothers earlier that he's also someone that I really looked up to before I started taking 400 metres seriously. He's someone that I respected as an athlete, I loved his character and then he became a competitor and I loved the person that he was so I definitely wish him a speedy recovery and I'm looking forward to have him back on the track again and get back to changing history because obviously he's been part of the history that I had opportunity to change." MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPRINTER, WAYDE VAN NIEKERK, TALKING ABOUT RUNNING THE 100 METRES IN THE FUTURE AT A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OR OLYMPICS, SAYING: "I'd love to speak more positive about the 400 metres so I don't want to say the word desperate because I still have so much that I have to achieve in the 400 metres but yes I'd love to invest more time in the 100 (metres) and 200 (metres)." REPORTER, ASKING: "OK, so you have to achieve what you want to achieve in the 400 before you focus on that?" VAN NIEKERK: "Not necessarily focus. I think I'll always be touching on all the events. I think I'll just have to learn how to juggle it and when is the best way or time or period for me to introduce whichever event." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS VAN NIEKERK AT THE END OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 16th August 2017 20:35
- Keywords: Wayde Van Niekerk to be the next Usain Bolt Van Niekerk wants to win double gold in London Van Niekerk aiming for IAAF World Championship victory
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Athletics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SGQWQN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Wayde van Niekerk, the athlete identified by Usain Bolt as the next trailblazer for global athletics, was adamant on Wednesday (August 2) that he has the ability and potential to become the face of his sport.
The day after Bolt had lavished him with praise, the South African Van Niekerk told Reuters that he was ready to rewrite the history books and can handle the expectations being heaped upon him before the World Athletics Championships, which start in London on Friday (August 4).
It is perfectly possible that the 25-year-old could upstage Bolt in the Jamaican's final championship by pulling off a 200 metres/400 metres double that has not been achieved since Michael Johnson in Gothenburg in 1995.
Van Niekerk is also being tipped to threaten the 400m world record of 43.03 seconds that he took from Johnson at the Olympic Games last year in a positive direction as an athlete.
Van Niekerk may not have the sparkling personality that Bolt possesses although, as he demonstrated in an assured performance in front of the world's media here in the shadow of the London Stadium, he's clearly growing more comfortable in the limelight.
And he has a string to his bow that even Bolt does not possess as the only man to have broken 10 seconds for 100m, 20 seconds for 200m and 44 seconds for 400m and his options for the future have left him and his remarkable 75-year-old coach Ans Botha, a great grandmother, spoilt for choice.
Van Niekerk said he feels in the best shape of the season and believes his compatriot Akani Simbine is a big threat in the 200 metres, rather than Canada's Olympic silver medallist, Andre De Grasse.
The South African also stressed that he wants and needs to improve every year with his ambitions for the future being the 100 metres. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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