KINGSTON, Jamaica — Wayde Van Niekerk went out fast, as did Jamaica’s Nathon Allen and Steven Gardiner of The Bahamas.

However, the South African dominated as they went into the straight, finishing well clear of the field in 43.98 seconds.

“It’s an amazing blessing,” said Van Niekerk, whom Usain Bolt has pegged as his most likely successor as the athlete capable of dominating the track after the Jamaican sprint star exits athletics after these world champs.

“I’ve got a good team that will help me recover after this and I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Silver went to Gardiner, who clocked 44.41s and was almost caught on the line by Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar, who moved from sixth to third in the final 30 metres to claim bronze in a season’s best of 44.48s, just edging out Botswana’s Baboloki Thebe, who finished in 44.66s.

Allen was fifth in 44.88s, while compatriot Demish Gaye followed in sixth, stopping the clock at 45.04s.

There was drama before the race, however, as the IAAF barred in-form Botswanan Isaac Makwala from competing after he was diagnosed with an infectious disease and ordered to observe a 48-hour quarantine.

That did not stop Makwala trying to get into the stadium before being refused entry.

“The IAAF is very sorry that the hard work and talent of Isaac Makwala won’t be on display tonight but we have to think of the welfare of all athletes,” world athletics’ governing body said in a statement.

And so Van Niekerk now turns to the 200m, in which neither Bolt nor the world’s fastest man this season, Makwala, are running.

Should Van Niekerk bag the double, it would be the first since American Michael Johnson achieved the feat at the 1995 worlds in Gothenburg and a year later at the Atlanta Olympics.

Additional reporting AFP