David Rudisha facts for kids
Rudisha at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea
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| Birth name | David Lekuta Rudisha | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 December 1988 Kilgoris, Narok County, Kenya |
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| Height | 1.90 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 76 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Kenya | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800 metres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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David Lekuta Rudisha (born 17 December 1988) is a retired Kenyan middle-distance runner. He holds the world and Olympic record in the 800 metres race. Rudisha won gold medals in the 800 m at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In London, he set a world record of 1:40.91.
He is also a two-time World champion (in 2011 and 2015). He also won the Diamond League twice (in 2010 and 2011) for the 800 m. Rudisha is the first and only person to run the 800 m in under 1 minute and 41 seconds. He holds the three fastest times ever recorded for this event. Each of these times was a world record when he set it.
Rudisha started his running career at St. Francis Kimuron High School. He won 800 m titles at the 2006 World Junior Championships. He also won the 2008 and 2010 African Championships. In 2014, he earned a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. He also holds the world's best time in the 500 metres and the African best for the 600 metres.
In 2010, Rudisha won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award. He also won three Track & Field News Athlete of the Year awards in a row. In May 2022, Rudisha announced he would run for election in Kenya. In March 2024, he was an ambassador for the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Contents
Early Life and Training
David Rudisha was born on 17 December 1988 in Kilgoris, Narok County, Kenya. He went to Kimuron Secondary School in Iten. In 2005, he met James Templeton, who managed many runners. Rudisha joined his group.
At first, he ran the 400 metres. But his coach, an Irishman named Colm O'Connell, told him to try the 800 metres. This turned out to be a great idea. In 2006, he became the world junior champion in the 800 m.
Running Career Highlights
Starting Out Strong
Rudisha competed at the 2009 World Athletics Championships. He reached the 800 metres semi-finals. In September 2009, he won a big race in Italy. He set a new African record of 1:42.01. This beat a 25-year-old record.
In 2010, Rudisha kept breaking records. He ran the 800 m in 1:42.04 in Norway. This was a new record for that race. On 10 July, he ran 1:41.51 in Belgium. This made him the second-fastest 800 m runner ever at that time.
On 22 August, Rudisha broke the 800 m world record. He ran 1:41.09 in Germany. Just one week later, he broke his own record again! He lowered it to 1:41.01 in Italy. Rudisha won four races in the Diamond League that year. He was named the youngest ever IAAF World Athlete of the Year. He was also named Kenyan Sportsman of the Year.
In 2011, Rudisha won his first major world title. He won the 800 m at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in South Korea. He also won three Diamond League races that season. This gave him his second straight 800 m Diamond Race title.
Olympic Gold Medals
In 2012, Rudisha set a new record in the United States. He ran the 800 m in 1:41.74. He then won the Kenyan Olympic trials. This guaranteed his spot on the Olympic team.
On 9 August 2012, at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Rudisha won the gold medal. He led the race from start to finish. Many people called it "The Greatest 800 Meter Race Ever". He became the first and only runner to run the 800 m in under 1 minute and 41 seconds.
Rudisha finished the race in a world-record time of 1:40.91. All the other runners in that race also ran incredibly fast. Many of them set personal bests or national records. The person who came in eighth place ran a time that would have won gold in the previous three Olympic games! This race was special because no pacemakers were used. Pacemakers are not allowed in the Olympics.
Sebastian Coe, a former 800 m world record holder, praised Rudisha's race. He said it was "the performance of the Games". He called Rudisha's run "magnificent". Rudisha's father also won an Olympic silver medal in 1968. David joked that winning gold would make him "better" than his dad. He was later honored by the government of Kenya.
Rudisha could not compete in the 2013 World Championships due to an injury. In June 2015, he won an 800 m race in New York. He then won his second world 800 m title at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in China.
Rudisha successfully defended his Olympic title at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. He won another gold medal with a time of 1:42.15. He was the first person since 1964 to win two Olympic 800 m titles in a row. His winning time was the fastest he had run since his 2012 Olympic final. It was also the fastest time in the world for 2016.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2017, Rudisha finished fourth at a Diamond League meet in Shanghai. He also tried the 1000 metres for the first time. He finished fourth with his best time of 2:19.43. In 2019, Rudisha was in a car accident. Luckily, he was not seriously hurt.
Rudisha had hoped to win a third Olympic title at the Tokyo 2020 games. However, injuries stopped him from competing. In December 2022, he was one of five people who survived a plane crash in Kenya.
Coaching and Training
For the 2012 Olympics, Rudisha worked with Caroline Currid. She was a mental performance coach from Ireland. She helped him prepare his mind for race day.
From 2007 to at least 2012, Rudisha trained in Germany during the summer. This town was a popular place for many young Kenyan runners to train.
About David Rudisha
Rudisha is a member of the Maasai people in Kenya. His father, Daniel Rudisha, was also a runner. He won a silver medal at the 1968 Olympics in a relay race. His mother, Naomi, used to run the 400 m hurdles.
David is married to Lizzy Naanyu. They have two daughters. A BBC journalist once said that Rudisha "is the greatest 800m runner of all time and he may also be the nicest man in his sport." He is also a fan of the football club Arsenal F.C..
Achievements
International Competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
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| 2006 | World Junior Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | 800 m | 1:47.40 |
| 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.54 | |||
| 2007 | African Junior Championships | Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 1st | 800 m | 1:46.41 |
| 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 |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 800 m | 1:40.91 WR |
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, Scotland | 2nd | 800 m | 1:45.48 |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | 800 m | 1:45.84 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | 800 m | 1:42.15 |
Circuit Wins and Titles
- Diamond League 800 m overall winner:
2010, 2011
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- 800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses
- 2010 (4): Doha Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix (WL MR), Oslo Bislett Games (WL MR), Lausanne Athletissima, Brussels Memorial Van Damme
- 2011 (4): Lausanne, Monaco Herculis (WL), London Grand Prix (promotional events), Brussels
- 2012 (3): Doha, New York Adidas Grand Prix (WL MR), Paris Meeting Areva
- 2013 (2): Doha Qatar Athletic (WL), New York
- 2014 (3): New York, Glasgow Grand Prix (=WL), Birmingham British Athletics Grand Prix (600m)
- 2015 (1): New York (SB)
- 2016 (1): Birmingham (600m, WL MR AB)
See also
In Spanish: David Rudisha para niños
