David Rudisha
David Rudisha
David Lekuta Rudisha, MBSis a Kenyan middle-distance runner. He is the current Olympic champion, World champion and world record holder in the 800 metres. Rudisha was the first person to run under 1:41 for the event, and he holds the three fastest, six of the eight fastest, and half of the twenty fastest times ever run in this event. Rudisha has won a record 3 consecutive Track & Field Athlete of the Year awards, and also won the IAAF World...
NationalityKenyan
ProfessionRunner
Date of Birth17 December 1988
CityKilgoris, Kenya
CountryKenya
Fantastic, I am very happy to be the fastest 800 metres runner in the world.
Going to the Olympics as a Maasai I want to make them proud because, after the warm welcome they gave me when I went back and being their leader, I want to also be the warrior in the Olympics. That will be something good because that will be the first Olympic gold medal for the Maasai.
I realized I could run after finding out that my dad used to run and it gave me the morale that if he did it then maybe I could also run.
I can say when it comes to championships it's a tactical race and normally you don't have a pacesetter who can set a pace for fast times. That is why you see that obviously we fall around 1:43 because that is the most favorable one can run from the front.
Billy Konchellah with his World Championship titles, Paul Ereng with his Olympic gold and Wilson Kipketer with his World records are my role models.
Sometimes when you get disappointment it makes you stronger.
My father's encouragement is what has brought me this far, because when I grew up I wanted to be like him, and I knew I had that ability to become an athlete. Being an Olympian is one of the greatest things, and being an Olympic gold medallist is one of the most prestigious titles in the world.
When I was a little boy, I always wanted to run. I loved competing with my friends.
Already in 2007 I thought I would be able to break the World record in the near future. That time Sammy Tangui was the pacemaker in Lausanne. I liked the way he was running. He is tall, he has a strong body and his stride is similar to mine. I told him in one of the coming years I would need him when I try to break the World record.
I missed the final of the World Championships in 2009, but I told the coach I would break the world record in 2010. Which I did. Then in 2011 I won the World Championships and now in 2012 it is the Olympics. That is how I have been working.
I was still young when I missed Beijing. I was favourite to win a medal but I knew I had time. My coach advised me to stay at school and finish my exams. Even if I had gone and won the Olympics, I might not have handled the pressure. So I moved on.
Races always are good to show where you are reaching in your training as well as to keep you sharpened. Every race, in my program, I put it in a special way like a ladder, climbing up slowly and slowly to the next one. I see where my training is, and that is like a test.
I love my tribe, the Maasai are very good people and humble.
The weather plays a very big role. I have run very few races in the raining and the cold.