'I need to get my head right and prove to myself that this is what I want.'
Van Niekerk grabbed third spot in his 400m semifinal in 44.65 seconds on Tuesday night, progressing on time as the sixth fastest qualifier for the podium battle to be held night .Having faded down the home straight in the penultimate round, however, he knew he was going to have to dig deeper and find another gear in order to challenge for victory in the final.
“Tonight was very disappointing – obviously not close to what we all know I can do – but I live to see another day,” Van Niekerk said after his semifinal race.“We’ve got a day of recovery, and then the final is a great opportunity for every one of us. It’s all about the one who wants it the most. “So over the next couple of days I need to get my head right and prove to myself that this is what I want, and then we put our best foot forward in the final.”Regaining form this season after recovering from a knee injury that threatened to derail his career, the world record holder was targeting his third world title and his first since 2017.
The 31-year-old sprinter said it had been a long, arduous road back from injury, and he was grateful for all the support he had received as he set his sights on securing the SA team’s first
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