David Rudisha, Lausanne 2011, photo by PhotoRun.net
At the 2012 London Olympics, David Rudisha lead from the first step. In the most important championship in the world, in front of 80,000 of his adoring fans, David Rudisha had wanted to “do something special.” And “special he did”.
Running against the best field in the world, with the chance of him faltering, Rudisha ran with an elegance and grace that makes his running look easy. But, it is not. His 1:40.91 World record took a lot out of him, as World Records do.
David Rudisha, Paris 2012, photo by PhotoRun.net
Now, 18 months later, David Rudisha will be visiting the U.S. once again. On June 14, he will run the adidas Grand Prix NYC. In 2012, David Rudisha ran a gutty final lap in the Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island, running a 1:41.74, the fastest time ever run in the United States.
Wilson Kipketer, David Rudisha, IAAF Gala 2012,
photo by PhotoRun.net
In March, I was in Copenhagen and chatted a bit with Wilson Kipketer, the former world record holder at the 800 meters. Wilson told me, that after he contracted malaria, he did not take the time to truly recover and get back into shape. He was worried about David Rudisha, whom he hoped was taking the time to recover from his injuries and gently get back into shape. Getting a WR holder back to the shape where running seems effortless takes enormous effort.
Rudisha has returned to fitness and we will see him in New York in only six weeks.
David Rudisha is the genius of the 800 meters. Rudisha is to the 800 meters what Bubka will always be and Lavillenie is now, to the pole vault. A most talented athlete, whose gentle speech belies the absolute ferocity he shows when running two laps on the track, David Rudisha will be visiting Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island on June 14.
If you are a track fan, you should be there! It is one of two Diamond League meets in North America, the other being in Eugene on May 30 and May 31.
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Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.
Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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by Larry Eder
