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Cape Town - Despite struggling into the final of the men's 200m at the IAAF World Championships in London, Wayde van Niekerk should add to South Africa's medal tally - if bookmakers are to be believed...
Van Niekerk finished a surprise third in his semi-final on Wednesday, which ultimately saw him qualify as one of the two fastest losers into Thursday's final at the Olympic Stadium.
According to leading bookies Sportingbet, Van Niekerk in the second favourite for the gold medal (5/2), behind Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards (5/4).
Botswana's Isaac Makwala, who missed the 400m final due to food poisoning, is the third favourite at 7/2.
Van Niekerk will have to regroup for the final if he is to have any chance of completing a first world 200m/400m double since Michael Johnson in Gothenburg in 1995, a feat the American also repeated a year later in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Due to his qualifying time, Van Niekerk will run out of Lane 3.
Van Niekerk will look at add to South Africa's current medal haul of two golds (Van Niekerk - 400m, Luvo Manyonga - long jump) and two bronze medals (Ruswahl Samaai - long jump, Caster Semenya - 1 500m) which sees them lie third in the overall standings heading into Day 7 in London.
The final of the men's 200m will take place at 22:52 SA time on Thursday.
