Wayde van Niekerk bio: Age, height, family, ethnicity, 200m, injury, salary

Wayde van Niekerk is an iconic South African athlete. He has shattered world records and set several of his own, and he has even been praised by the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt. Van Niekerk made his home country proud in 2021 with his impressive running, which qualified him for the Tokyo Olympics. This Wayde van Niekerk bio explores everything from his early life and family background to his athletic achievements and personal challenges.

Key takeaways

• Wayde van Niekerk is currently in his early 30s and remains active in international athletics.
• He comes from a supportive and athletic family, with his mother, Odessa Swarts, being a former sprinter.
• Wayde is of mixed-race heritage, proudly representing South Africa's diverse cultural identity on the global stage.
• While he is best known for the 400m world record, van Niekerk also excels in the 200m.
• A serious knee injury in 2017 during a celebrity rugby match sidelined him for several seasons.
• He is one of South Africa's top-earning athletes.

Profile summary

Wayde van Niekerk's bio

Wayde van Niekerk is a world-renowned South African sprinter who has earned global recognition for his exceptional performances in the 200m and 400m events. Born on July 15, 1992, Wayde van Niekerk's age places him in his early 30s, a stage in his career where experience and resilience shape his continued pursuit of excellence on the track.

Where is Wayde van Niekerk from?

Wayde van Niekerk hails from Kraaifontein, a suburb in the Western Cape province of South Africa. He spent his early years in this region before relocating to Bloemfontein with his mother, Odessa Swarts, following her separation from his father, Wayne van Niekerk.

What is Wayde van Niekerk's heritage?

His heritage reflects the rich and diverse cultural landscape of South Africa. In terms of ethnicity, he is identified as part of the Coloured community—a multiracial ethnic group primarily found in the Western Cape region. This heritage combines various ancestral roots, including African, European, and Asian influences, which is common among many South Africans of Coloured descent.

Wayde Van Niekerk's parents

Wayde van Niekerk was born to Wayne van Niekerk (father) and Odessa Swarts (mother) in Kraaifontein, Cape Town, South Africa. Both of his parents have athletic backgrounds.

His mother, Odessa Swarts (née Krause), was a prominent sprinter during the apartheid era in South Africa. She excelled in the 100m and 200m events, setting provincial records. However, due to the apartheid regime's restrictions, she was denied the opportunity to compete internationally.

His father, Wayne van Niekerk, was also involved in athletics, participating in high jump, rugby, and sprinting during his school years.

Wayde Van Niekerk's height and weight

Wayde van Niekerk stands at 1.83 meters (6 feet 0 inches) tall and maintains a weight of 70 kilograms (154 pounds). His height and lean physique contribute to his exceptional stride length and speed, which have been instrumental in his success as a world-class sprinter.

Career

Van Niekerk's entry into the track was from rugby, although his mom, Odessa Swarts, was a track and field competitor who set national records and was pretty fast in her time. However, she decided to compete in the non-racial sports organisation that opposed apartheid; this meant that she could not compete on behalf of the nation in international sporting events.

Wayde's cousin is the famous rugby sevens player Cheslin Kolbe. He played on the same rugby team as his cousin. 12 years after this, they were both in Rio, one for speed and the other for rugby.

Track and field

Wayde Van Niekerk does great on 200m and 400m runs; they are what he is mainly known for in the track and field. His career on the track took off with a rocky start. Follow the timeline of his career.

• 2010: Competed in the World Junior Championships; placed 4th in the 200m and ran in the 4x100m relay.
• 2011: Won the 200m at the South African Athletics Championships.
• 2012: Began competing in the 400m, setting a personal best of 46.43s.
• 2013: Won his second national 400m title and placed 1st at the IAAF Meeting de Dakar; finished 2nd behind Kirani James in Ostrava.
• 2014: Topped world rankings with another national title; won the FBK Games and took silver at both the New York Diamond League and Commonwealth Games.
• 2015: Defeated Kirani James at Meeting Areva; ran 19.94s in the 200m in Luzern, joining an elite club of sub-20 (200m) and sub-44 (400m) runners; won gold at the World Championships and became the 4th fastest man in history.
• 2016: Made history by breaking 10s (100m), 20s (200m), and 44s (400m); won Olympic gold in Rio with a world-record 43.03s in the 400m; named Best Male Athlete of Rio 2016.
• 2017: Won 400m gold and 200m silver at the World Championships in London.
• 2021: Qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a 44.56s run in Madrid.

Wayde van Niekerk’s achievements and accolades

Wayde’s accolades reflect his legacy as one of the greatest 400m sprinters of all time. Below are his other achievements;

• Olympic Gold Medalist (2016 Rio Olympics) – Set the 400m world record (43.03 seconds), breaking Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old record.
• World Champion (2015, 2017) – Gold in 400m at both World Athletics Championships.
• World Silver Medalist (2017) – Silver in the 200m at the London World Championships.

Wayde van Niekerk's injuries

His first notable injury was in October 2017, when he took part in a rugby match. He tore his ACL, went into surgery, and began treatment immediately after.

He also reportedly had a hip problem in a 200m race in Boston in May of 2021 and suffered injuries in 2010 at the World Junior Championships in Athletics.

He has said that his numerous injuries made him want to quit running. It had become too hard. However, he kept pushing through the pain and has come out on top.

Who is Van Niekerk married to?

Wayde van Niekerk is married to Chesney Campbell, a South African food sociologist and nutritionist. The couple tied the knot on October 29, 2017, in a private ceremony held at the Bloemfontein Botanical Gardens, South Africa. Their wedding was attended by over 200 guests, including notable figures such as Springbok rugby player Siya Kolisi and Olympic champion Caster Semenya.

Chesney and Wayde met while studying at the University of the Free State and began dating during their time there. They became engaged in December 2016, with Wayde sharing the news on social media by posting a video of the proposal, captioned “She said yes”

Wayde van Niekerk and his wife, Chesney Campbell, have two children, both sons. Their first son, Elijah Luca, was born on November 24, 2021, and their second son, Eziah, was born on April 24, 2025.

Becoming a father for the second time has had a transformative impact on the South African sprinter. He said,

“My wife just gave birth three weeks ago,” he shared. “So it was very important for us to just be around family. I’ve got two boys now.”

“If you guys have kids, you know what a massive privilege and blessing that is. He’s my best friend — and now I’ve got another little best friend. I’m really excited.”

Wayde Van Niekerk's net worth

As of 2025, Wayde van Niekerk's estimated net worth is approximately $3 million. This figure encompasses his earnings from athletic competitions, prize money, and lucrative endorsement deals with prominent brands such as Adidas, Audi, and Richard Mille.

Where does Wayde van Niekerk live now?

He lives in Bloemfontein, South Africa, where he has lived for many years. This is also where he grew up and established his athletic foundation. In a recent interview, he mentioned returning to South Africa from the United States to be closer to his family and to find personal peace.

“My biggest goal is just health and peace. If I can get that, then I’m happy.”

What happened to Wayde van Niekerk?

Famous for his 2016 400m world record, he faced a major setback in 2017 when he injured his knee playing charity rugby, requiring years of recovery. After training in the US, he returned to South Africa in 2025 to work with his stepfather as a coach.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he competed in the 200m instead of his usual 400m to reignite his passion, but didn’t reach the final. Recently, he withdrew from the 2025 national championships following the birth of his second child. Despite challenges, van Niekerk remains focused on recovery and future competitions.

Trivia

• He set the 400m world record (43.03s) at the 2016 Rio Olympics—from lane 8, which is considered one of the most difficult lanes to win from.
• His mother, Odessa Swarts, was a track athlete during apartheid, but wasn’t allowed to compete internationally due to segregation laws.
• He is the only athlete in history to run sub-10s (100m), sub-20s (200m), sub-31s (300m), and sub-44s (400m).
• He was featured in a documentary series by TBN Africa exploring his faith and career.
• He holds a degree in Marketing from the University of the Free State in South Africa.

As Wayde van Niekerk's bio shows, his success extends beyond just medals and records—it’s rooted in a deep sense of purpose and national pride. Whether on or off the track, van Niekerk continues to be a standout figure in global athletics.

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Source: Briefly News