Former UFS-Kovsies Varsity Athletics sensation Wayde van Niekerk claimed the gold medal in the 400m final at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing.
Van Niekerk has featured in all three Varsity Athletics competitions, and has won gold medals in bot the 400m and 200m.
The 23-year-old broke the African and South African record with his time of 43.48 which was the sixth fastest time in history.
He is also one of just four people who have run under 20 seconds for the 200m and under 44 seconds for the 400m.
He beat American LaShawn Merritt finished in second with 43.65, while defending champion Grenadian Kirani James posted a time of 43.78 for the bronze medal.
Van Niekerk is yet to lose a 400m race this year, and becomes the first African in amost a century to win a world 400m title.
Maties star Justine Palframan made amends in the women’s 200m after she was eliminated in the heats of her preferred 400m where she finished last in 52.45 seconds.
Palframan advanced to the 200m semifinal earning automatic qualification with a third-place finish in her heat with a time of 23.09 which was a fraction slower than her personal best of 22.96.
