A gold of a different kind for Wayde van Niekerk

The Olympic hero receives a gold National Order from President Jacob Zuma for his fine achievements over the past two years.

Wayde van Niekerk. Photo: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images.

Sprinting sensation Wayde van Niekerk duly received a National Order on Friday in another entry to his glittering CV.

The 24-year-old, who romped to Olympic gold last year in Rio, was bestowed the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold.

These awards are given to individuals who have advanced democracy, excelled in their respective fields or improved the lives of fellow citizens.

President Jacob Zuma with the esteemed members of the Orders during the #NationalOrders ceremony pic.twitter.com/YTOpub15Rq

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) April 28, 2017

“We are honoured today to recognise these men and women locally and from abroad, who served our country with great distinction in various fields and elevated our standing in the international community,” President Jacob Zuma told guests at the ceremony at Sefako Makgatho guest house in Pretoria.

“The Order of Ikhamanga is awarded to South Africans who have excelled in the field of arts, culture, literature, music journalism and sport.”

According to a statement from the presidency, Van Niekerk was deserving of the award “for his exceptional contribution to the sporting field of track running”.

“His performance against all odds broke standing records of international legends and brought immense national pride,” it read.

Another sporting recipient was rower Matthew Brittain for his gold medal at 2012’s London Olympics.

“His strong determination is an inspiration to the young people of South Africa,” said the Presidency.

“Brittain’s career has been adversely affected by recurring back injuries. In 2010 he had a back surgery, but recovered remarkably to go on and win in the 2012 Olympics in London. However, his back problem recurred in 2013, forcing him to eventually take the decision to retire. He is now fulfilling this passion through his events company focusing on sponsorship for the rowing team and raising the profile of the sport in the country.”

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