A relaxed-looking Wayde van Niekerk cruised to victory in his opening heat of the 400m at the World Championships in Budapest on Sunday morning.
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Running in heat 2, the world record holder who is bidding to reclaim the world title he last won in 2017, sailed to victory in a time of 44.57 – the second quickest time of the morning.
Speaking after the race, the South African star said: “Today was a positive effort. I kept the race controlled. Matt [Hudson-Smith] had a very good run on the inside of me so I just used him until the last 100m and then fought for the first place so I’m satisfied with how the run went.
“The heats and the semifinals are about surviving so I had to read my competitors and gauge off of them. That’s what I did in the heats and I think it should be a similar strategy in the semis and then in the final we’ll give it what we’ve got left.
“It was a great opening so I can’t complain.”
Compatriot Zakithi Nene also made it through to the semifinals despite what he described as a “poorly judged race”. He looked on his way to comfortably securing the required top-three place to progress from heat 1 but then eased up in the final few metres and was overtaken by two other athletes. Fortunately, his time of 44.88 seconds for fourth place was quick enough to see him through as one of the six fastest losers.
“I judged the race well to about 300 to 320m and I thought the race was over before it was actually over so that’s on me – poor judgement of the race and we’ll fix it from the semi,” said a relieved Nene afterwards.
Botswana will be represented by three athletes in the semifinals with Bayapo Ndori (44.72), Busang Kebinatshipi (44.80) and Luengo Scotch (45.20) all qualifying.
“The first step here was to qualify for the semifinals,” said Ndori afterwards. “I did not think much about times here, as I already ran a qualification standard for the Olympic Games. That was the main goal this season which I achieved at the Diamond League in Silesia. Today's race was very relaxed but I hope that I can run faster in the next round.”
Missing from the men’s 400m heats on Sunday was the second fastest man in the world this year, Muzala Samukonga. The Zambian, who ran a speedy 43.91 in Gaborone in April, withdrew from the World Athletics Championships a few days prior to the start after picking up a leg injury in that same Diamond League meet in Poland.
MARIE-JOSEE TA LOU PROGRESSES
Meanwhile, South African Zeney van der Walt was the only African woman to qualify for Monday’s 400m semifinals by finishing third in her heat in a time of 51.76. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist will have a busy day on Monday as she is also competing in the 400m hurdles heats in the same evening session with just over two hours between the two races.
“It feels really great, it feels amazing to advance to the semifinals and I’m very excited… My coach and I decided to do both events this year to take the challenge and to see how my body can manage it and to use it as a stepping stone here,” she said.
Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou powered to victory in the women’s 100m heats in 11.08 to safely make her way into the semifinals.
“It was the first round and we all have to perform better in the semifinal, and then the final,” she said afterwards. “I competed in Budapest before, the atmosphere was good even then, but now, running in the same heat as the Hungarian girl, Boglarka Takacs, the stands almost exploded. It felt nice to start the World Championships with such good energy.”
Also through to the 100m semifinals are Gambia’s Gina Bass after finishing third in her heat in 11.10 and Nigerian Rosemary Chukwuma who progressed as one of the three fastest losers in 11.24.
Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel produced a season’s best in the 400m hurdles at just the right time. He finished fourth in his heat in 48.47 to book a place in Monday’s semifinals. Also making it through was Kenya’s Wiseman Mukhobe who also finished fourth in his heat in 49.10.