Watch: Wayde van Niekerk runs fastest 300 meter race ever
400 meter Olympic champion and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk ran the fastest 300 meter race ever with his 30.81-second victory at the Golden Spike Meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
The 300 meter dash is a rarely contested event outdoors but three-time Olympic gold medalist and sprints legend Michael Johnson of the United States held the previous world best of 30.85, which was set in 2000. Usain Bolt, the world record holder at 100 and 200 meters, has run 30.97 for the distance.
Van Niekerk set the 400 meter world record of 43.03 in the 2016 Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro. His 300-meter unofficial split during that race was 31.0.
Van Niekerk looks to defend his world championship gold medal at the IAAF World Championships in London in August. He has also said that he hopes to race the 200 meters – a distance where Usain Bolt is the reigning world champion.
