Category Archives: David Rudisha
David Rudisha – the greatest 800m runner ever?
For the 80,000 fans lucky enough to have tickets for Thursday evening’s athletics session at the Olympic Stadium, there is one stand-out name they are all there to see.
Usain Bolt is a global star who could grab his second gold medal in four days in the 200m final later on – but he is not the only world-beater on display.
David Rudisha
· Born: 17 December 1988
· Medals: 800m world champion 2011; African 800m champion 2008, 2010; 800m world junior champion 2006
· 800m PB: 1:41.01 (World Record)
· 400m PB: 45.50 seconds
At 20:00 BST, David Rudisha will aim to show the world that he is the greatest 800m runner of all time.
The 23-year-old Kenyan may have entered these Games under the radar of many, but there is a good reason why BBC athletics commentator and Olympic medallist Brendan Foster has described him as the star attraction of London 2012.
Speaking before Tuesday’s semi-final – which Rudisha won at a canter ahead of British athlete Andrew Osagie – Foster said: “We are talking about a magnificent athlete. This man could be the star of these Olympic Games.
“We’ve got Usain Bolt winning lots of medals but this man could break the world record if he puts his mind to it.”
Rudisha did that twice within the space of a single week in 2010, lowering the best time over two laps to one minute 41.01 at the age of just 21, and he has recorded six of the 10 fastest 800m ever run, as well as winning gold at last year’s World Championships in South Korea.
Analysis
“David Rudisha is the outstanding 800m runner of his generation. And I will say it, probably on paper the most impressive track and field athlete at these Games – I would say that, wouldn’t I?”
It is, historically, not an easy record to break. The time of 1:41.73 set by London Games chief Sebastian Coe in 1981 stood for more than 16 years before it was matched, and then improved, by Kenyan-born Dane Wilson Kipketer. He and Rudisha remain the only men ever to better Coe’s figures, and no-one except the Kenyan has broken the 1:43 barrier this year.
Yet remarkably there are even hopes that Rudisha could become the first man to break 1:40 in the final.
Whatever the time, Foster is in no doubt that he will deliver gold.
He said: “He likes to run from the front. He doesn’t like trouble around him and he is outstanding enough to not have to worry about people around him.
“Nobody can touch him. He’s a beautiful athlete to watch.”
Rudisha’s father, Daniel, was also an athlete and took silver in the 4x400m relay in the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
Rudisha told BBC Sport: “My father is a big inspiration to me – he is the reason why I am here, why I am running.
The fastest 800m ever
· David Rudisha: 1:41.01
· David Rudisha: 1:41.09
· Wilson Kipketer: 1:41.11
· Wilson Kipketer: 1:41.24
· David Rudisha: 1:41.33
“I understand that billions of people are watching. Doing something special at the Olympics would be an honour.
“Kenya know I am going to bring this gold home. They have no doubt. I want to do it for them.”
And while the eyes of the world will be on a rangy Jamaican and his bid for Olympic greatness, they may just witness this unassuming Kenyan join him.
David Rudisha breaks 800m world record in Olympics win
David Rudisha became the first athlete to set a new world record on the track at London 2012 as he won 800m gold.
David Rudisha became the first athlete to set a new world record on the track at London 2012 as he won 800m gold.
The 23-year-old Kenyan stormed to victory in his debut Olympic final to become the first man inside one minute 41 seconds, clocking 1:40.91.
Analysis
Denise LewisOlympic heptathlon champion and BBC Sport athletics pundit“It was just such an incredible race to witness. To run the way he has done here and in a time like that is just sensational. What he can go and do now is inspire a whole new generation of young Rudishas who want to have this opportunity to shine on the global stage.”
Botswana 18-year-old Nijel Amos took silver, with another teenager, Kenya’s Timothy Kitum, in bronze.
Britain’s Andrew Osagie was in eighth place but still clocked a personal best of 1:43.77.
Reigning world champion Rudisha led from the off, running an opening lap of 49.28 seconds and storming further clear down the back straight to beat his own world record.
With the rest of the field dragged along by his pace, only Abukaker Kaki in seventh failed to record a personal best.
Rudisha told BBC Sport: “Wow! I’m very happy. This is the moment I have been waiting for for a very long time. To come here and to break the world record is something unbelievable.
Analysis
Tom FordyceChief sports writer, BBC Sport“Rudisha, unchanging and unflagging from gun to tape, has the ground-eating stride of some relentless robot.”
“I was well-prepared and I had no doubt about winning. Today the weather was beautiful and I decided just to go for it.”
But the new world record holder believes he can go even faster.
He said: “After running two rounds before the final I got a little bit tired. I told the physio yesterday that I was feeling sore after the semis, so if I can get fresh then I can still improve on that.”
Earlier on Thursday 2012 chief Lord Coe said Rudisha was “the most impressive track and field athlete at these Games”.
Rudisha said: “Lord Coe is a very good friend of mine and earlier, in February, he took me round this stadium. That was good for me. I wanted to come here and make him proud.”
A first for last
· Andrew Osagie’s time of 1:43.77 is a world record for the eighth-placed finisher in an Olympic 800m final
· It would have won him the gold medal at the last three Olympics
· Now fourth-fastest Briton over 800m behind Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram and Peter Elliott
In Amos and Kitum, 17, the future of the event looks in good hands but whether anyone can get near the dominant Rudisha before the next Games in Rio looks unlikely.
Amos clocked 1:41.73 – the 11th fastest 800m of all time – to become the fourth-fastest man ever over the distance. Only Rudisha, Wilson Kipketer and 2012 Games chief Seb Coe have run two laps of the track faster.
Rudisha has set the three fastest 800m times of all time and managed six of the fastest eight 800m ever.
His pace was consistent throughout, clocking 23 seconds for the first 200m, 25 for the second, 25 for the third, and 26.1 for the final quarter.
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