Beijing 400m World champion Wayde Van Niekerk says it’s time to start building momentum towards the Rio Olympics, and the South African believes the Racers Grand Prix is the ideal place to move into higher gear.

Van Niekerk, who arrived in the island on Saturday, will be training with sprint king Usain Bolt and will be competing in the 300m against one of his biggest Olympic rivals, Lashawn Merritt of the United States of America.

“It’s time to start building some good momentum. So it’s going all out every race now. There is no time to play around,” Van Niekerk said as he addressed editors and reporters at the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Monday Exchange yesterday.

“So, it’s all about building some confidence and putting myself in a comfortable position as I build momentum for Olympics. At this very moment, it’s putting it literally all out there on the track every time I get an opportunity,” said Van Niekerk.

The South African star is the first man in history to run the 100m under 10 seconds (9.98); the 200m under 20 seconds (19.94) and the 400m under 44 seconds (43.48).

“The Racers Grand Prix is a wonderful meet to be a part of. The choice of me coming over to Jamaica was simply because of the good, positive relationship with coach Glen Mills and it’s another opportunity for me to learn and grow and improve myself as an athlete,” said Van Niekerk.

“I am really looking forward to learning and improving myself and the goal is to want to achieve as much as the coach’s athletes have within my discipline,” he pointed out.

Van Niekerk will line up against Americans Merritt, Bryshon Nellum, Gil Roberts, Tony McQuay and Kyle Clemons, Isaac Makwala of Botswana and Jamaica’s Javere Bell.

The 23-year-old Van Niekerk burst onto the scene in 2015 when he created history and became the first African to run the 400m under 44 seconds at the Paris Diamond League last July, clocking 43.96 seconds.

He also handed a rare defeat to Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada and announced himself as a genuine title contender at the Beijing World Championships, which he eventually won.

Van Niekerk used his early speed, went out hard, and held on to win in 43.48secs. Merritt took silver in a personal best 43.65secs and James finished third in a season-best 43.78secs.

Merritt and James had dominated the 400m over the years, now Van Niekerk has joined the party and upstaged them both and is seen as the man to beat in the 400m at the Rio Olympics.

“I really can’t see it as a rivalry,” he told the

Observer, when quizzed about his two main threats for the Olympic title.

“I have come on the circuit for the first time, touching the top three last year. So, I really see them more as inspiration and motivation than rivals.”

Van Niekerk continued: “Lashawn has been here for decades amongst the world’s best and Kirani James coming through as a junior. It’s an immediate learning curve for me where I can pick up some good motivation from them to build my own character, to maintain my position as the world champion. That’s how I see it. I don’t see it as a rivalry.

“The biggest surprise for me was when I broke 44 for the first time and that opened so many more doors for my confidence. And when we got to Beijing, I was in a very good space and I felt very confident in myself and had quite a lot of belief,” he explained.

“That’s why I am using these races as motivation and a stepping stone towards the Olympics, and when I get to the Olympics I will be confident and ready to race. It did take me some time to get some motivation together for this season, but it has started to come together,” said Van Niekerk.

— HOWARD WALKER