Wayde returns with 100m win

Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk made his long awaited comeback with a solid performance on Friday night, clocking 10.20 in an unofficial 100m race in Bloemfontein.

Turning out on a grass track at a small Kovsies meeting, Van Niekerk took the win with a hand-timed performance.

It was the 400m world record holder’s first race in nearly a year, after recovering from a knee injury which he picked up in late 2017 during a charity touch rugby match.

Though he competed a couple of times at minor domestic meetings early last year, before having further trouble with his knee, Van Niekerk last competed internationally when he earned 400m gold and 200m silver at the 2017 World Championships in London.

Hoping to defend his Olympic one-lap title in Tokyo in August, Van Niekerk’s management team confirmed he would compete again at the Free State provincial track and field championships in Bloemfontein at the end of the month.

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