Wayde van Niekerk makes his Presence known in Madrid

Wayde van Niekerk proved critics wrong with a huge comeback performance as he managed to win his 200m race ahead of countryman Akani Simbine.

Van Niekerk clocked a seasonal best of 20.29 seconds as he outran Simbine who was going head-to-head with him. Simbine ran an incredible speed as he clocked a time of 20.38, only 0.09 slower than 400m World Record Holder Wayde van Niekerk.

Although van Niekerk’s facial expression was that of disappointment when he saw his time, he still acknowledged and thanked the crowd for their support.

This was the 5th meeting between Simbine and van Niekerk, with the latter dominating the head-to-head match up by grabbing all five wins over his compatriot.

The win in Madrid will give Wayde van Niekerk a lot of confidence as he tries to regain his best form. With a countryman and tough competitor like Simbine, van Niekerk will use that as fuel and motivation to become the face of South African athletics again.