Athletics: Largely regarded as a late bloomer, Isaac Makwala went to the London World Championships in August searching for his first medal at the world stage. While Makwala holds all national sprint records, he had not set the world stage alight. But his moment arrived in London, albeit in bizarre fashion. After he had qualified for the 400m and 200m semi finals, Makwala was barred from contesting in the races, after he was said to be suffering from novo virus. He had to be quarantined for 48hours, despite his protestations that he was fit.
The controversial moment denied him a shot at the 400m medal, where his South African rival, Wayde Van Nierkek romped to victory. Most felt he had been robbed. But in a dramatic twist of events, Makwala was allowed to run a solo 200m race to determine if he qualified for the semi finals. It was a rare moment in front of a near capacity crowd which egged him on as he powered towards the finish line.
