Dein erstes Forum » The right-hander has faced Boston once

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Despite racing down the stretch of the 400-meter final with a substantial lead Sunday night, South Africas Wayde van Niekerk still thought someone was going to catch him. He was wrong about that, very wrong. Niekerk had such a large lead, not only did no one come close to catching him, not even world-record holder Michael Johnson could have done so while running in his prime.Er, make that former world record holder Michael Johnson. Van Niekerk broke Johnsons 17-year-old record by .15 seconds, winning Sundays race with a time of 43.03. The gold-medal time was nearly half a second faster than van Niekerks previous best, which he set when he won the 2015 world championships last summer in Beijing.And he did so despite running in Lane 8, becoming the first Olympian to win gold in that lane in the 400.I felt very alone at the end. I was thinking, Whats going on? Whats going on? said van Niekerk, 24. It kind of gave me motivation to keep on pushing and keep on pushing to the finish line. I dove for the finish line. And right after that, I went down on my knees and thanked God and my family and everyone for tonight.Van Niekerks time was .73 seconds faster than silver medalist Kirami James of Grenada. American LaShawn Merritt, who won gold at the 2008 Olympics, took bronze with a time of 43.85.I didnt handle the last part of the race as well as I would like but I got a medal, Merritt said. Ill take it and get a day rest and get ready for the 200.Merritt said that he knew the race would be fast but he didnt realize it was going to be world-record fast. But the man can run fast, and at many distances. In addition to a sub-44 second 400, he has run a sub-20 second 200 and sub-10 second 100.As amazing as Van Niekerks run was Sunday, heres something just as incredible. His coach? A 74-year-old great grandmother Ans Botha.She has played a huge role in who I am today and kept me very disciplined and very focused on the role and who I need to be, he told reporters. Im very grateful my coach has pushed me to the limit.Van Niekerk also trained for a while in Jamaica, where he met Usain Bolt, who won his seventh gold medal just minutes after the South African won his first.Im really proud of him, Bolt said. When he came to Jamaica, I said to him, Youre the only person who can break the 400 meter world record. Because hes very fast and he keeps on going. I wasnt really surprised he broke it tonight because hes really good and he looked in good shape.Van Niekerk said that Bolt inspired him, along with Michael Johnson. These are amazing guys. I learned from them, he said. Even the guys I ran against today -- James, LaShawn Merritt -- these are guys that inspired me.Asked what his race strategy was, van Niekerk said he didnt know and laughed. Then he said that he was just determined to run the best he possibly could. He said he was able to do so partly because he had God -- and the people of South Africa -- on his side.I believed in myself as an athlete and my abilities, but tonight God showed how important hes been in my life, he said. And Im really grateful for the blessing hes continued to give me in my life. I can say tonight that God is great.Van Niekerk was pretty great as well.Clearance College Basketball Jerseys . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Cheap Jerseys From China . 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In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head.BOSTON -- David Price knows he hasnt lived up to expectation with the Boston Red Sox this year, but the former Tampa Bay Rays ace can begin to turn things around against his former team on Sunday.Boston (48-38) is 10 games above .500 for the first time since June 19 but needs a classic Price start against Tampa Bay (34-53) to enter the All-Star break with six wins in seven games.The five-time All-Star southpaw and 2012 Cy Young Award winner has been mediocre at best in the first season of a seven-year, $217 million contract with Boston, going 8-6 with a 4.64 ERA in 18 starts.Price was a hard-luck loser last time out, giving up only three runs and eight hits while striking out 10 in eight innings in a 7-2 loss against Texas on Tuesday at Fenway Park.Im tired of this, a weary Price shared after losing for the fifth time in his last seven starts, despite notching his eighth game with eight-plus punch outs. Its not me. Ive got to get better.Against the Rays, Price is 0-1 with an unsightly 10.80 ERA in two starts this season. Hes 1/3 with a 6.51 ERA lifetime in five outings against Tampa Bay.Curt Casali has been a nightmare matchup for Price, going 6-for-11 (.545) with three home runs and five RBI against him.Evan Longoria is 3-for-15 (.200) with a home run and three RBI against his old friend, and Steve Pearce (6-for-20, .300) has a home run and four RBI.The Rays, meanwhile, are spinning their wheels after losing for a franchise-worst 21st time in 24 gamess after Saturdays 4-1 loss to the Red Sox, which puts them in danger of losing six in a row heading into the break.ddddddddddddWe know what were capable of doing, Rays left-hander Matt Moore said after taking the loss on Saturday. Regardless of what just happened the last month, that sounds like a victim attitude. I dont think anybody in here is going to admit to that -- I know I wont.Jake Odorizzi (3-4, 4.33) has had his share of struggles against the Red Sox, going 2-2 with a 4.07 ERA against them in nine starts.The right-hander has faced Boston once already this year, lasting only four innings while allowing five runs and eight hits in an April 21 no-decision, a game the Rays won 12-8.His numbers at Fenway arent much better, going 1-2 with a 6.21 ERA in six starts at the ballpark.Xander Bogaerts has proved to be a tough out for Odorizzi, going 7-for-16 (.438) with three walks while driving in two runs off him. David Ortiz is 3-for-20 (.150) with five strikeouts against him.Boston could have used the bat of Brock Holt, 4-for-15 (.267) with a homer and four RBI against Odorizzi, but the utility man is day to day with a left ankle sprain he sustained Friday.The Rays and Red Sox will meet 10 more times in a span of 35 days from Aug. 22 to Sept. 25 to complete the 19-game season series between the American League East rivals. ' ' '