South Africa’s 400m world-record holder Wayde van Niekerk has picked up a knee injury in his comeback, placing him in doubt for the Doha World Championships from September 28 to October 6.
Peet van Zyl of In-Site Athlete Management says: “Wayde was pushing hard in training to test himself before his upcoming races, as he wants to show he can be competitive when he makes his comeback.
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
“He had MRI scans which showed the ligaments and meniscus in his [right] knee were fine, but unfortunately he picked up a bone bruise which has set him back five or six weeks.”
Van Niekerk adds: “It’s very disappointing as I probably pushed myself too hard, but now I’m working towards the goal patiently and I will review my competition schedule with my team, and together with my coach we will decide where and when to race.”