Wayde van Niekerk Withdraws from London Diamond League Meeting After Training Setback

By Adam Kopet

Wayde van Niekerk announced Monday on Twitter that he has withdrawn from all Diamond League races this season after he experienced a setback in training.

Sadly guys, I’ve had a minor setback on my road to recovery. I’ve been pushing myself abit too hard in training so that I can make a memorable comeback but I have picked up a bone bruise on my knee so won’t be participating in the upcoming @Diamond_League events. 😔 pic.twitter.com/CY2NXQGkyy

— Wayde van Niekerk (@WaydeDreamer) July 1, 2019

Van Niekerk, of South Africa, is recovering from an ACL injury that he sustained during a celebrity rugby match in the fall of 2017. He did not race in 2018 and has only competed once this year, a 400-meter race in South Africa in February that saw him run 47.28.

The most recent injury, a bone bruise, will keep van Niekerk out through the Diamond League regular season, which runs through August. He had been scheduled to race the 400 meters at the London Diamond League meeting, but has now withdrawn.

Van Niekerk is the reigning Olympic champion and he is the two-time defending world champion at 400 meters. He broke the world record in the Olympic final, running 43.03. Doubling at the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships, van Niekerk also captured the silver medal in the 200 meters.

As the defending world champion, van Niekerk remains eligible to compete at this year's IAAF World Outdoor Championships in his signature event. The late start to this year's championships, Sept. 27, gives van Niekerk additional time to recover and prepare for his return to international competition than he would have in most years.