Bolt gives SA star thumbs up

The world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, came away impressed with South Africa's World 400 metres champion, Wayde van Niekerk, after the two shared a training session yesterday for the first time at the Usain Bolt/University of the West Indies track

Van Niekerk and a number of other South African athletes arrived early in the island last Saturday, ahead of this weekend's inaugural Jamaica National Racers Grand Prix and worked out yesterday with Bolt and the high profile cast at the Racers Track Club under the guidance of coach Glen Mills.

"It was good, he is a cool person it's the first time I'm actually communicating with him like this and having dialogue and stuff but he is a really cool person and we were just chilling and having a chat and it's good," said Bolt of his experience with the South African.

The South African, who thrilled at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing last year with a 43.48 seconds win in the 400m, says he is looking to learn as much as possible from his time training alongside the likes of Bolt, Yohan Blake and Warren Weir as he prepares to step up his campaign on Saturday with a 300m run.

Van Niekerk was also thrilled to be given the chance to work alongside the group and is hoping to make the most of the opportunity.

"I love meeting personalities and so on and what better personality than a Jamaican personality!" van Niekerk told STAR Sports.

"I sat so much with coach Mills in the dining rooms of the Diamond Leagues and so on and we really enjoy his company and now to be around someone like Usain Bolt, who is an idol in the sport and Yohan Blake and Warren Weir and all those top athletes; just being around them and learning from them, I'm just very excited," van Niekerk said ahead of the session.

Van Niekerk is coming off a 44.19 seconds win at the Rome Diamond League and has a season's best 44.11.