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iaaf.org - Rudisha: “In a championship year you don’t want to reach your peak too early” – Lausanne, Samsung Diamond League

Published by
Chris Nickinson   Jun 29th 2011, 3:18pm
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Rudisha: “In a championship year you don’t want to reach your peak too early” – Lausanne, Samsung Diamond League

Lausanne, Switzerland - World 800 metres record holder David Rudisha, after his impressive 1:43.46 return from injury last week in Nancy, will line-up again in Lausanne on Thursday night (30), for Athletissima 2011, the seventh leg of the 2011 Samsung Diamond League series.


David Rudisha, the son of an Olympic 4x400 metres silver medallist, was determined and encouraged from his early childhood to continue the family tradition and become a world class athlete.


But even the long striding very confident Kenyan must have been surprised that even before celebrating his 22nd birthday (17 December), he would twice break the World record last August, so taking down the 13-year-old stellar mark of Wilson Kipketer last August.


No one present in the 48,000 crowd of Berlin's 1936 Olympic Stadium will ever forget how Rudisha his body searching for much needed oxygen powered down the home straight to become the youngest holder of the record for 98 years when striking 0.02sec from Kipketer's performance with a time of 1:41.11.


Exactly seven days later in Rieti, high in the mountains outside of Rome, the spectators were much more expectant about what Rudisha - who less than 48 hours earlier had been crowned the inaugural overall Diamond Race 800m event victor in Brussels - might produce during what had been the peak running period of his life.


The former World Junior champion didn't disappoint them when again thanks to perfect pace-making by training partner Sammy Tangui, he motored around the scenic Rieti track to smash the record again with a time of 1:41.01.


"Well, it was a great week for me," recalled Rudisha of the two memorable moments which were targeted by coach Brother Colm O'Connell and his other great motivator, manager James Templeton.


Rudisha who beforehand had broken the Kenyan record in Heusden and then clinched the African title at altitude on home Kenyan soil in Nairobi with a time of 1:42.84, revealed: "After the previous year when I ran 1:42.01 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.”


"I thought I could do it in Rieti. But with my coach and manager we thought I needed to have another chance to break the record because although the weather seems always good in Rieti, you never know.”  


"We came to Berlin the week before prepared to run fast if the weather was good. I was very happy that it was a warm afternoon and of course it was a great achievement for me to break the record. It was an incredible feeling for me."


Daegu and London are the focus


Rudisha the only male athlete to set a World record in a recognised track and field event in 2010 and who concluded a magnificent unbeaten streak of a dozen 800 victories when winning at theIAAF / VTB Bank Continental Cup last September, is confident there will be further improvement.


But he insisted: "As I’ve said before my focus this year is on the World Championships in Daegu but that is still two months away and by then I am confident I will be running at my best."


Rudisha also eyeing the 2012 Olympics after missing the last Games with a calf injury, added: "It is very important for me. I broke the World record twice last year but since then I have been saying that to be considered a great athlete you need to win championships as well as breaking World records.  


"The Olympics are of course a big target for me and to win in Daegu I would consider would be a vital step towards that."


Diamond Race defence


Despite his recent ankle injury retaining his Diamond Race title is also on his mind and looking towards the remainder of the season, he said:  "I have some good races in the coming period – Lausanne this Thursday, the Kenyan Trials (16 July) and then Monaco 22 July and London 5 August. So there is plenty of time and some good competitions for me to be back at my very best.”


"Last year I was still very strong at the end of August and early September, I expect the same this year and in fact this injury may help me peak at just the right time.  In a championship year you don’t want to reach your peak too early."


“I haven’t run under 1:41 yet”


The 2010 International Athletics Foundation Male Athlete of the Year, ending four years domination of the title by sprinters Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt (twice), happily recalled the pre-event Awards Dinner forum with 800m legends Alberto Juantorena, Sebastian Coe and Kipketer.


Rudisha asked whether he could become the first to run two-laps in under 100 seconds, remembered:  "Yes, we laughed about this last year in Monaco but as I said then, I haven’t run under 1:41 yet, so I can’t be talking of running under 1:40!


"I believe I can run something like 1:40 and a half but 1:39 seems very difficult!  I think you have to run a strong first lap something like 49-low or 49-5 in order to run 1:40.  I don’t think you can run two laps of 50.”  


"Seb Coe agreed with me that you definitely need to run a strong and faster first lap but of course not too fast.  Wilson also said that his experience over many years was you need to be faster on the fast lap.”


"There is a balance and I think 49-low is about right for me."


Good advice


Rudisha said of the encouragement he received in his formative years: "My father (Daniel) has played a big influence on my career particularly when I was young and at home and just starting in athletics.  I looked up to him and wanted to be an athlete like him.  


"He gave me good advice when I was young and taught me that I must be patient and work hard and make the most of my talent."


Then like many future global stars before him including Kipketer, he moved to St Patrick's High School to learn the art of track racing under the eagle eye of Brother O'Connell at Iten high up in the Rift Valley.


"Since 2005 I joined the training camp of Brother Colm," added Rudisha. "It was he that suggested I try the 800. He has been my coach since then. We work nicely together, he knows me well and he knows middle distance running well.


Now Rudisha after the injury forced him to miss Samsung Diamond League events in Doha and Rome will make a very welcome return on the worldwide track and field circuit at the Athletissima meet in Lausanne where defending his title he will be equally determined to send a strong message to his rivals ahead of Daegu that he is back.


Dave Martin for the Samsung Diamond League



Read the full article at: www.iaaf.org

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