David Rudisha

David Rudisha initially began his athletic journey as a 400-meter runner. However, his coach, Colm O’Connell, an Irishman, encouraged him to switch to the 800-meter event. In 2006, Rudisha’s decision to switch events paid off when he clinched the world junior championship title in the 800 meters. Rudisha excelled his running skills at St. Francis Kimuron High School in Kenya’s Elgeyo-Marakwet County. His winning time in the 2006 World Junior Championships was an impressive 1:47.40 in the 800-meter category. Additionally, Rudisha was a key contributor to his team’s fourth-place finish in the 4 x 400-meter relay race.

In the 2008 African Championships, David Rudisha emerged as the champion in the 800 meters event, clocking in at 1:46.41s in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He continued his rise in 2009 at the World Athletics Championships, reaching the semi-finals in the 800-meter category. Later that year, he topped the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti, Italy, and set a new African record of 1:42.01 and eclipsing the 25-year-old record of 1:42.28 previously held by fellow Kenyan, Sammy Koskei.

The 2010 Diamond League saw Rudisha face off against Abubaker Kaki in the Bislett Games in June. He not only won over Kaki, but also shattered Sebastian Coe’s 31-year-old meet record with a 1:42.04 run, marking one of the fastest times in the men’s 800 meters. On August 22, 2010, during the ISTAF Berlin meeting in Germany, Rudisha made history by breaking Wilson Kipketer’s 800-meter world record of 1:41.09. A week later, he set a new record at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rieti, lowering the world record to 1:41.01.

Rudisha secured four wins on the Diamond League circuit in 2010, earning his first 800-meter Diamond Trophy. At the age of 21, he was awarded the IAAF World Athlete of the Year, becoming the youngest recipient of the accolade. In 2011, at the World Championships in Athletics held in Daegu, South Korea, Rudisha clinched his first senior global title, winning the 800-meter event in 1:43.91. His winning streak continued in the Diamond League, where he won three races to secure his second consecutive 800-meter Diamond Race title.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Rudisha made history by becoming the first and so far, the only athlete to break the 1:41 barrier for 800 meters, winning gold in what has been hailed as one of the greatest races of all time. It was a unique race where each competitor achieved either a personal or season’s best time.

Rudisha continued to rise at the World Championships in Beijing, China, where he claimed his second world 800-meter title in a strategically run race, finishing in 1:45.84. His Olympic success was repeated at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, where he defended his title, winning gold in 1:42.15, becoming the first athlete since Peter Snell in 1964 to secure back-to-back Olympic 800-meter titles. While Rudisha has not officially retired, he has indicated in interviews that he is thinking of transitioning from competing to coaching.

David Rudisha, born on December 17, 1988, hails from Kilgoris, situated in Narok County. He received his education from Kimuron Secondary School, located in Iten, within the Keiyo District. Rudisha belongs to a sporting family. His father, Daniel Rudisha, was a distinguished runner himself, having secured a silver medal at the 1968 Olympics as a crucial member of the Kenyan 4 × 400 m relay team. His mother, Naomi, was also an athlete and excelled in the 400 m hurdles event.