Share

Van Niekerk breaks SA 200m record in Jamaica

Cape Town - Sprint sensation Wayde van Niekerk delivered another superb performance on Saturday evening to smash the national 200m record at a meeting in Kingston, Jamaica.

The versatile speedster, who holds the 400m world record of 43.03, took the half-lap win at the Racers Grand Prix in 19.84 to break the two-year-old mark of 19.87 held by Anaso Jobodwana.

Van Niekerk shattered his Personal Best of 19.90, which he set when he won the SA title in Potchefstroom in April, by 0.06.

He finished well ahead of Commonwealth champion Rasheed Dwyer who grabbed second spot in 20.11.

Earlier, SA 100m record holder Akani Simbine took second place in 10.00 in the short dash.

Former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica won the race in 9.97.

“What a wonderful performance!” was the happy reaction of Aleck Skhosana, the President of Athletics South Africa.

“Looks like Wade is on the roll here.

“Since announcing that he wants to contest the short sprints seriously this year, he has been on an onslaught. Clearly he is not where we all want him to be, but he is really doing very well.

“The exploits of Simbine cannot go unnoticed. His consistency has made everyone sit up and worry about what’s coming at the IAAF World Championships in August. Congratulations to all athletes and their coaches! Your hard work is coming together."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE