It was in the Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 that van Niekerk set a world record by winning 43.03 from lane eight. Most people who saw the race, including van Niekerk, were shocked. He improved the legendary Michael Johnson's record by 0.15. They are still first and second through the ages.

Niekerk also won the World Cup gold in the distance in 2015 and 2017. In the autumn of 2017, van Niekerk made the fateful decision to participate in a show match in rugby and suffered a serious knee injury that erased the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

During the winter, van Niekerk has returned to some extent. In February, van Niekerk ran 100 and 200 meters the same day at home in South Africa at the decent times of 10,10 and 20,31. One week later, he recorded 47.42 on the favorite distance 400 meters. Since then, the corona pandemic has come in between.

Wants to keep the record for at least 34 years

Today, one year before the opening of the Olympics in Tokyo next year, van Niekerk, 28, does not doubt his capacity - despite the fact that he was 4.39 over his personal record in the last race in the distance. Thirty-four. He is happy with the speed but lacks the strength to withstand a demanding race over 400 meters.

- I want to improve at times in the 42-team. This is where the thought lies, this is where I have my heart, says van Niekerk to Michael Johnson on behalf of the BBC and repeats something he said in other contexts a couple of times during the spring and summer.

van Niekerk wants to set an "unattainable" record of 400 meters.

- You set a record that stood for 17 years. I want to double that time, says van Niekerk to Johnson.

It is not clear what competition plans Van vankerker has this summer.

In addition, van Niekerk has to take care of himself. Last year, Michael Norman ran 43.45 and recorded a personal best of 9.86 in the 100 meters on Monday.

These two are the only ones who have been for 10 seconds in the 100 meters, 20 in the 200 and 44 in the 400 meters.