Van Niekerk competed in the senior men’s 200m sprint at the Mangaung Athletics Stadium in Bloemfontein.

The world champion clocked the time of 21.18 sec to win the event in what by his own admission was deemed to be a training race.

The senior Free State athletes got special permission to compete in the Zone 1 schools event in order to get some time on the track before the senior athletics season in South Africa kicks off.

Van Niekerk beat his University of the Free State team-mate, Hendrik Maartens, by 0.10 sec as his comfortably strolled over the finish line.

Petr Havenga, who also represents Kovsies, completed the race in exactly 22 sec.

Earlier in the week Van Niekerk told OFM Sport that he was viewing the event as a training season for the upcoming season.

“It’s still very early so I don’t really have any specific emotions at this point in time,” said Van Niekerk.

“I’m just really going to use this weekend as a good training session so that we can just help the fitness and the sharpness.

“It’s just really to get the legs loose and see where I’m at now and to see what I must work on with the South African season coming closer and closer”.

He conceded that he is still struggling with a bit of a niggle and the race will be used to determine the way forward.

"I'm still struggling with a lot of tightness in my back from last season.

"We’re going to work on that a bit and when that feels better, I will slowly but surely move towards improving my actual speed for the season.

“But right now I’m really just testing the waters.”

Van Niekerk has indicated that he wants to compete against his good friend and 200m world record holder, Usain Bolt, of Jamaica on the track, and his performance on Saturday can perhaps put an end to the speculation that he is shifting his focus to the shorter event. 

Morgan Piek/OFM Sport