David Rudisha feels getting into form too early can be counter-productive – Athletics news
The 22-year old middle-distance runner from Kenya, David Rudisha, who also happens to be the world record holder for 800m run with a time of one minute and 41.01 seconds, contested in the Athletissima 2011, on June 30. Appearing at the seventh stop of the
Samsung Diamond League series of the season, the formidable runner, who possesses four of the top ten fastest times, said that getting into form too early can prove to be counter-productive in the World Championships year.
Kovai born Rudisha imprinted his footsteps in the world athletics arena back at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, where he managed to land in the semi-finals for the distance he specialises in. Building on his winning streak, he also bagged the 2009
IAAF Grand Prix run held in Rieti, Italy, where he marked the African record for clocking an impressive one minute and 42.01 seconds.
The results produced by the young Kenyan lad had culminated in breaking Sammy Koskei’s 25-year-old record which stood at one minute and 42.28 seconds. Moreover, the success in the event also earned him fourth place in the all-time fastest runner’s list.
Such huge success right at the start of his career gave Rudisha the much needed confidence which was rather crucial to carry on exploiting his running talent. It was this assurance that led him take-over the 2010 IAAF Diamond League, where his quick strides
left the earnest rival, Abubaker Kaki, far behind. This meet, indeed, was a clash of the titans as for prevailing victorious in the run, Rudisha broke the 31-year-old record of 1 minute and 42.04 seconds, set by Sebastian Coe on the board.
Kaki, who too had gone to all lengths for dispelling the dominance of his archrival, could not withstand the pace displayed by the Kenyan. Excellence had still to reveal its heights for the quick strider, as in July 2010, while appearing at the KBC Night
of Athletics in Heusden, Belgium, his new Personal Best of one minute and 41.51 seconds made him recognised as the second fastest runner ever for the distance.
Moving towards the apex of his career, it was the end of 2010 when at the age of 21, he not only bagged the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award for marking the world leading PB of one minute and 41.01 seconds, but was also conferred upon with the Kenyan
Sportsman of the Year award.
Talking about how he planned to embark upon the world record, Rudisha said, “After the previous year when I ran 1:42.51 in Rieti, I knew I could run very fast there. I had not talked so much of the World record but after running 1:41.51 in Heusden in July
and after feeling so strong in the African Championships in Nairobi, I felt I could challenge the World record in August.”
Recalling the moment in Berlin, which made him emerge as the ultimate dominator on the field, Rudisha said that he was happy for having a warm afternoon as it proved to be a great help in helping him embark upon his goal.
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