Van Niekerk breaks another Johnson world record in rare 300m race

Athletics - Golden Spike Meeting - Ostrava, Czech Republic - June 28, 2017- South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk setting a new World Record in 300m Men. REUTERS/David W Cerny

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic (Reuters) - South African Wayde van Niekerk broke the 300 metres world record at the Ostrava Golden Spike on Wednesday, rubbing Michael Johnson out of the record books for the second time in less than a year.

Van Niekerk, who broke Johnson's 400 metres world record at the Rio Olympics last year, pulled away from the pack around the curve on his way to a time of 30.81 seconds, beating the American Johnson's mark of 30.85 seconds set in 2000.