Wayde van Niekerk finally joins new training group

South African Olympic hero Wayde van Niekerk has arrived in the United States to continue his Olympic preparation under the guidance of new coach Lance Brauman.

It is the next step in the 28-year-old’s attempt to defend his Olympic 400m title at this year’s Games in Tokyo, which gets underway in July.

Been an amazing first Day in the US meeting my new team.

Gradually building!!! #TimetoRoar #CreatedwithAdidas #AdidasRunning @adidas @adidasrunning @Richard_Mille pic.twitter.com/dOwEMb56sy

— Wayde van Niekerk (@WaydeDreamer) May 4, 2021

Van Niekerk, who had spent his entire career under coach Ans Botha before joining Brauman recently, had struggled to get clearance to travel to the USA but he has now landed in Florida.

The delay allowed him to compete at the SA Senior Championships in Pretoria last month, where he won the national 200m title, but he was itching to start this new phase of his career.

Brauman is also the coach of 200m world champion Noah Lyles and 400m women’s Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who took to Instagram on Tuesday to welcome Van Niekerk to the stable.