Published: Aug 16, 2016, 11:05 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 16, 2016, 11:05 AM (IST)
Olympics 2016, being organised in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, have now entered the business end with gold medals in the majority of sporting categories being on the line now. On Monday, a young South African athlete Wade van Niekerk not just won the first gold for his country at Rio 2016, but also did so in style, by setting a new world record. ALSO READ: AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and other cricketers express their joy over Wayde van Niekerk’s record win.
The 24-year-old broke Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old 400m world record to win the Olympic gold. He finished in 43.03 seconds, 0.15 quicker than the time Johnson clocked in Seville in 1999. In the process, he also became the first man to win an Olympic 400m title from lane eight.
Van Niekerk’s achievement sparked celebrations in the rainbow nation, with citizens of South Africa celebrating the young athlete’s success and the first gold at Rio 2016. The Protea cricketers too were not far behind, as they sent in their wishes through a special video message shared by Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) official Twitter handle. Test and ODI skipper AB de Villiers and fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander congratulated the medallist.
Here’s what they said:
From the Proteas & everyone at CSA, huge congrats to you @WaydeDreamer. #Gold #Inspiration #Rio2016 #TeamSA pic.twitter.com/c8KKckQavt
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) August 15, 2016
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