Van Niekerk romps to 200m SA title

Van Niekerk romps (उछल-कूद) to 200m SA title

Cape Town - World 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk surged (बढ़ी)to a best 200m time this year of 19.90 seconds in winning the South African championships title in Potchefstroom Saturday. Van Niekerk set the track alight, dipping below 20 seconds for the second time with a career best. The previous fastest 200m time this year was 19.95 from another South African, Akani Simbine, who beat Van Niekerk to win the 100m title Friday.

Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt holds the world record with a 19.19 run. 

Knocking 0.05 off his previous best has strengthened Van Niekerk’s resolve to pursue the 100-200m double at the world championships in London during August.

"It is such a soothing feeling knowing I put down a solid time and also getting revenge for yesterday (finishing second in the 100m final) also feels quite good," Van Niekerk said.

"It is a long season so I didn’t want to get too ahead of myself - the goals are the world championships and the European season."

Van Niekerk beat Rio Olympic Games 100m finalist Simbine and world 200m junior silver medalist Gift Leotlela to the line after a blistering bend.

Simbine raced home in 20.15 with Leotlela third in 20.20.

South African sprinters occupy the top five times in the world in the 200m this year with Van Niekerk spearheading the charge.

Rio Olympics long jump silver medalist Luvo Manyonga improved his South African and African record by three centimetres with opening leap of 8.65m before retiring due to a groin injury.

The leap catapulted Manyonga to 11th in the world all-time best list and earned him his maiden senior national title.

Ruswahl Samaai finished second with the second best jump in the world this year of 8.49m.

"This is how it feels to be a champ - it is special and it looks like it is now an everyday thing where it is an African record on the first jump," former drug addict Manyonga said.

"Finally, I got the gold medal, but there is more coming. The focus wasn't on the South African champs - the bigger picture is the world championships.

"It is my record and I will be the person to break it again."

Olympic women's 800m champion Caster Semenya raced to a golden double in the 400m and 800m with times of 51.60 and 2:01.03 to defend both titles.

"I would have preferred dipping below two minutes but I still have the South African student championships where I can do that while I will play around with speed in the 400m," Semenya said.