2017 IAAF World Championships

Wayde van Niekerk, Isaac Makwala Showdown Set For 200m Final

Wayde van Niekerk, Isaac Makwala Showdown Set For 200m Final

Wayde van Niekerk, Isaac Makwala and two Americans advance to the 200m final at the 2017 IAAF World Championships.

Aug 9, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
Wayde van Niekerk, Isaac Makwala Showdown Set For 200m Final
South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder and newly crowned 400m world champion as of last night, successfully advanced to the IAAF World Championships 200m final which will conclude tomorrow night's action in London.

The 25-year-old did not advance automatically, placing just third in his section behind Turkey's Ramil Guliyev and the United States' Ameer Webb, and had to rely on his time to make the final. Van Niekerk is attempting to sweep the 200m and 400m at these championships, a feat that only former world record holder Michael Johnson has ever accomplished.


His biggest challenger is Botswana's Isaac Makwala, the world leader over 200m who was quarantined earlier this week due to the possibility of having contracted the norovirus. Makwala was not allowed to race the 400m final or the 200m prelims due to his condition, but the IAAF set up a special time trial after his quarantine period had ended that would serve as his own prelim. Makwala ran 20.20 to easily advance to the semi-final, which was held about two hours later, then claimed victory in that section as well by clocking 20.14.


"Last night the recovery was quite difficult, I didn't get much rest," van Niekerk said on the NBC broadcast after placing third in his semi-final. "I'm glad to qualify and make it to the finals. Tomorrow is a new day. [My legs were] definitely much heavier than I thought [they] would be, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be but I mean, that's part of the game, that's the challenge I set in front of me and the one that I need to conquer. I need to come back tomorrow a better man."

In addition to Webb, fellow American Isaiah Young will advance to the 200m final. Kyree King, a recent graduate of the University of Oregon who was just fourth at NCAAs, placed fifth in section two in 20.59 and did not qualify.

Men's 200m finalists:

RANK ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
1 Isaiah Young USA 20.12Q
2 Jereem Richards Trinidad & Tobago 20.14Q
3 Isaac Makwala Botswana 20.14Q
4 Ramil Guliyev Turkey 20.17Q
5 Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake UK 20.19q
6 Ameer Webb USA 20.22Q
7 Wayde van Niekerk South Africa 20.28q
8 Abdul Sani Brown Japan 20.43Q