History will surely record that the astonishing performance in Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium last night did not come from Usain Bolt, even as he made 100m history, but from Wayde van Niekerk. Bolt’s triumph was expected. Van Niekerk’s smashing of Michael Johnson’s 400m world record was one of the Games’ biggest shocks. This was not just any world record but one that Johnson, a legend of the track, had held for 17 years. In winning gold by a distance, Van Niekerk ran the fastest ever 400m in 43.03sec, 0.15 quicker than the time Johnson clocked in Seville in 1999.

Source: The Times August 15, 2016 03:22 UTC