![Rio 2016: Wayde van Niekerk just won gold but his track star mother would have never had the same opportunity | The Independent | The Independent Rio 2016: Wayde van Niekerk just won gold but his track star mother would have never had the same opportunity | The Independent | The Independent](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/16/10/wayde-van-neikerk-rio-400m-gold.jpg)
Rio 2016: Wayde van Niekerk just won gold but his track star mother would have never had the same opportunity | The Independent | The Independent
![2016 Rio Olympics -- Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa wins men's 400-meter final in world-record 43.03 seconds - ESPN 2016 Rio Olympics -- Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa wins men's 400-meter final in world-record 43.03 seconds - ESPN](https://a.espncdn.com/photo/2016/0814/r113877_1296x729_16-9.jpg)
2016 Rio Olympics -- Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa wins men's 400-meter final in world-record 43.03 seconds - ESPN
![Rio 2016: Wayde van Niekerk smashes Michael Johnson's 400m world record to clinch gold | Olympics 2016 | Sport | Express.co.uk Rio 2016: Wayde van Niekerk smashes Michael Johnson's 400m world record to clinch gold | Olympics 2016 | Sport | Express.co.uk](https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/83/674x400/Wayde-van-Niekerk-699996.jpg)
Rio 2016: Wayde van Niekerk smashes Michael Johnson's 400m world record to clinch gold | Olympics 2016 | Sport | Express.co.uk
![Wayde Van Niekerk wins men's 400 metres in world record 43.03 to claim gold for South Africa and beat Michael Johnson's 17-year record Wayde Van Niekerk wins men's 400 metres in world record 43.03 to claim gold for South Africa and beat Michael Johnson's 17-year record](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/olympics/2016/08/15/vanniekerk_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqytxLMmtfp3sC_cEhhtHl3-kWZ2wQyMFrq6bVM5K5Eps.jpg)
Wayde Van Niekerk wins men's 400 metres in world record 43.03 to claim gold for South Africa and beat Michael Johnson's 17-year record
![Wayde van Niekerk obliterates 400m world record at Rio Olympics - Zulu radio call I NBC Sports - YouTube Wayde van Niekerk obliterates 400m world record at Rio Olympics - Zulu radio call I NBC Sports - YouTube](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MDhb11T4ICU/maxresdefault.jpg)