Today’s Star of the Day is South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk, who ran the fastest single lap in history to win the 400m gold medal in 43.03 seconds and break a 17-year-old world record at the Olympic Games. Running in lane eight, the 24-year-old world champion got off to a flier and was streaking clear on the back straight but he upped his pace even further in the second half of the race to better American Michael Johnson’s 1999 mark of 43.18 seconds. Van Niekerk crossed the line a good five metres ahead of 2012 champion Kirani James and held his hands to his head in disbelief at his time before being embraced by the Grenadian, who took silver in 43.76. “Oh my God! From lane eight, a world record,” Johnson said on the BBC. “He took it out so quick. I have never seen anything from 200 to 400 like that.”