David Rudisha

David Rudisha

Personal information
Nationality	Kenyan
Born	17 December 1988 (1988-12-17) (age 22) Kilgoris
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	800 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	400 m: 45.50 (2010) 800 m: 1:41.01 (2010) (WR)
Medal record Men's athletics Competitor for  Kenya World Championships Gold 2011 Daegu 800 m African Championships Gold 2010 Nairobi 800 m Gold 2008 Addis Ababa 800 m Continental Cup Gold 2010 Split 800 m World Junior Championships Gold 2006 Beijing 800 m

David Lekuta Rudisha (born 17 December 1988) is a Kenyan middle distance runner and world record holder in the 800 metres with a time of 1:41.01. Rudisha holds four of the ten fastest times for this event.

Early life

Born in Kovai, Trans Mara District, Rudisha went to St. Francis, Kimuron Secondary School in Iten, Keiyo District, which is known for nurturing several top runners. Initially he was a 400 metres runner, but his coach, Colm O’Connell, prompted him to try 800 metres. In 2006 he became the world junior champion over that distance.^[2]

Career

Rudisha competed at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, reaching the 800 metres semifinals. In September 2009, Rudisha won the IAAF Grand Prix meeting in Rieti, Italy, posting a new African record of 1:42.01, beating the 25-year old record of 1:42.28 set by compatriot Sammy Koskei. That effort put him in fourth place on the all-time list.^[3] In the 2010 IAAF Diamond League, he took on Abubaker Kaki at the Bislett Games in June. He defeated Sebastian Coe's 31-year-old meet record with a run of 1:42.04, giving him another place in the top-ten fastest ever 800 m and leaving Kaki the consolation of the fastest ever non-winning time.^[4] On 10 July 2010, Rudisha ran the 800 m in 1:41.51 at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden, Belgium; this new personal record placed him #2 all-time in the world for the 800 m.^[5]

Rudisha currently holds the world record for the 800 m. He broke the record at the ISTAF IAAF World Challenge meet in Berlin on 22 August 2010, with a time of 1:41.09.^[6] The previous record, held by Kenyan-born Danish Citizen runner Wilson Kipketer, had stood since 1997; Rudisha broke the record by 0.02 seconds.^[7] Rudisha claimed that it had been his "first real attempt" at breaking the record, and that he was capable of improving the time. This was proven one week later when he set a new WR of 1:41.01 in Rieti, Italy.^[8] In November 2010, at the age of 21, he became the youngest ever athlete to win the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award. He also won the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year award ^[9]

Personal life

Rudisha is a member of the Maasai tribe.^[2] Rudisha's father, Daniel Rudisha, is a former runner who won silver at the 1968 Olympics as part of the Kenyan 4 × 400 m relay team, while his mother Naomi is a former 400 m hurdler.^[10]

He is married to Lizzy Naanyu with a daughter (as of 2010).^[10]

Achievements

Rudisha at the 2010 Memorial van Damme.

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing  Kenya
2006	World Junior Championships	Beijing, China	1st	800 m (1:47.40)
2007	African Junior Championships	Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso	1st	800 m (1:46.41)[11]
2008	African Championships	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	1st	800 m (1:44.20)
2009	World Athletics Final	Thessaloniki, Greece	1st	800 m (1:44.85)
2010	African Championships	Nairobi, Kenya	1st	800 m (1:42.84)
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	1st	800 m (1:43.91)

Personal bests

Event	Time	Date	Location
400 m	45.50	27 February 2010	Sydney
800 m	1:41.01 WR	29 August 2010	Rieti

References

1. ^ http://www.iaaf.org/news/athletes/newsid=46175.html Focus on Athletes – David Lekuta RUDISHA
2. ^ ^{a b} IAAF, September 13, 2009: Rudisha: Following in the footsteps of Konchellah and Kipketer?. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
3. ^ IAAF, September 6, 2009: Rudisha 1:42.01 African 800m record in Rieti – IAAF World Athletics Tour. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
4. ^ Middle distance magic in Oslo – IAAF Diamond League. IAAF (2010-06-04). Retrieved on 2010-06-07.
5. ^ "Phenomenal 1:41.51 for Rudisha in Heusden-Zolder". IAAF. 2010-07-10. http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=57337.html. Retrieved 2010-07-10. 
6. ^ "Athletics: Record for Rudisha". Sky Sports (British Sky Broadcasting). 22 August 2010. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12993_6329676,00.html. Retrieved 22 August 2010. 
7. ^ "David Rudisha breaks 800m world record". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 August 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8935022.stm. Retrieved 22 August 2010. 
8. ^ James, Ryland (22 August 2010). "Outstanding Rudisha sets new 800m world record". AFP. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jiqs3knivFSHoZQDSndd1eKI5yAA. Retrieved 22 August 2010. 
9. ^ The Standard, December 11, 2010: Rudisha and Lagat crowned Soya best athletes
10. ^ ^{a b} China Daily, September 8, 2010: Feature: Kenya's Rudisha receives heroic welcome
11. ^ IAAF, August 13, 2007: Rudisha takes expected gold in Ouagadougou as African junior championships conclude. Retrieved 23 August 2010.

External links

	Biography portal
	Kenya portal

• IAAF profile for David Rudisha

Records
Preceded by Wilson Kipketer	Men's 800 metres world record holder 29 August 2010 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by Usain Bolt	IAAF World Athlete of the Year 2010	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Usain Bolt	Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 2010	Succeeded by Incumbent
Sporting positions
Preceded by Abubaker Kaki	Men's 800 metres best year performance 2009–2010	Succeeded by Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Rudisha, David
Alternative names
Short description	Kenyan middle distance runner
Date of birth	17 December 1988
Place of birth	Kilgoris
Date of death
Place of death