Wayde van Niekerk's career, however, took a negative turn in 2017 after he injured his knee playing rugby in a celebrity touch rugby match.
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South African Wayde van Niekerk is a track and field athlete who specializes in 400 meters. However, his athletic career has been filled with ups and downs. He was initially drawn to short sprint distances, but injuries forced him to transition to the 400m. His talent became apparent when he ran a time of 44.38 in the men’s 400-meter event at New York in June 2014, shattering the South African record. In July 2015, he became the first African athlete to run a sub-44-second mile. Within ten days, he had broken the national 200m record in under 20 seconds. In the same year (2015), he claimed his first 400m world championship in Beijing, surpassing the previous record with a timing of 43.48 seconds to move up to fourth all-time.
Niekerk ran the 100 meters in 9.98 seconds in 2016, achieving his goal of breaking the ten-second barrier. With this accomplishment, he became the first athlete to run times in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter events under 10, under 20, and under 44, respectively. Also, he scripted history by smashing Michael Johnson’s 400-meter world record by 0.15 seconds, capturing the Olympic gold in the process. He added another achievement to his resume the following year by setting a new 300-meter world record in Ostrava with a timing of 30.81. At the 2017 World Championships in London, he successfully defended his 400-meter title. He also came close to winning the 200-meter title, finishing with the silver medal.
Wayde van Niekerk‘s career, however, took a negative turn in 2017 after he injured his knee playing rugby in a celebrity touch rugby match. He was out for years due to the injury, which also caused tears in his meniscus and ACL. He made comebacks in between, although it was clear that he had lost some of his form. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, he couldn’t defend his title. But after this setback, he recovered well and a few days ago on April 1, 2023, he went on to win the men’s 400-meter final in 44.17 seconds to claim his fifth South African Athletics Championship 2023 victory.
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Chesney Campbell is a Sociologist.
Yes, Wayde van Niekerk and Chesney Campbell have a son named Elijah Luca van Niekerk who was born in November 2021.
Chesney Campbell was born on July 15, 1992. Coincidentally, this was also the same day when Wayde van Niekerk was born. The pair Wayde van Niekerk and Chesney Campbell dated for a long time and finally married on October 29, 2017, in the presence of their friends and family.
Read More-What is Wayde van Niekerk’s net worth, salary, and brand endorsements?
