Rugby injury sees Wayde under knife
A WEDDING, a transatlantic flight, and surgery. That sums up world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk’s last four days which will ultimately rule him out of competition for six months due to a knee injury.
Van Niekerk will miss the 2018 Commonwealth Games after having an operation on his right knee at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, yesterday.
He picked up medial and lateral tears of the meniscus, as well as a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a celebrity TAG rugby match curtain-raiser to last month’s Rugby Championship Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks at Newlands in Cape Town.
His agent Peet van Zyl has allayed fears of an extended injury layoff, assuring fans South Africa’s golden boy was in the best surgical hands. Van Niekerk’s surgery would be in the competent hands of world-renowned complex knee specialist doctor Robert LaPrade. Wayde was with the doctor last night (Monday) for his preop, where he had an MRI,” Van Zyl said.
“In their reception, they have photos of pretty much everyone they have operated on, and Wayde says it is ‘the who’s-who in the sporting world’ of any sport you can think of, from athletics, NFL, basketball to baseball and rugby.”
Van Zyl said they would wait for the doctor’s post-operation feedback and an accurate rehabilitation timeline before predicting exactly how long he would be out of action.
The South African speedster would undergo rehabilitation for six months in Vail, Doha and South Africa, which meant he would miss out on participating at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in April.
“I was looking forward to competing in the 100m and 200m events in Gold Coast, and participating at the national championships in March, so this is unfortunate timing,” Van Niekerk said in a release.
“But this is sport and these things happen. I trust that the team I have around me, including the medical professionals, will make this process as smooth as possible.”
Van Niekerk and long-time girlfriend Chesney Campbell tied the knot over the weekend but there was no time for a honeymoon as he was on the first flight to the United States for the operation.