David Rudisha

1.1. Birth and family

Rudisha's father, Daniel Rudisha, was also a runner, who notably won a silver medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics as part of the Kenyan 4 × 400 meter relay team. His mother, Naomi, was a former 400 meter hurdler. David Rudisha is married to Lizzy Naanyu, and as of 2015, they have two daughters.

1.2. Education

Rudisha attended St. Francis Kimuron High School in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, also known as Kimuron Secondary School, located in Iten, Keiyo District. This school is renowned for producing several top athletes, including former 800-meter world record holder Wilson Kipketer. Initially, Rudisha focused on the 400 metres event. However, his Irish coach, Colm O'Connell, encouraged him to try the 800 metres. In April 2005, Japheth Kimutai, who was also trained by Coach O'Connell, recommended Rudisha to James Templeton. Rudisha subsequently joined a group of runners managed by Templeton, which at various times included prominent athletes such as Kimutai, Bernard Lagat, and Augustine Choge.

1.3. Ethnic background

David Rudisha is a member of the Maasai people, an ethnic group indigenous to Kenya and northern Tanzania. This identity is a significant part of his background.

2.1. Junior career

Rudisha's early career showed immense promise. In 2006, he became the world junior champion in the 800 meters at the championships held in Beijing, China, with a time of 1:47.40. He also placed fourth in the 4 × 400 meter relay at the same event, recording 3:05.54. The following year, in 2007, he secured another gold medal in the 800 meters at the 2007 African Junior Athletics Championships in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, finishing in 1:46.41.

2.2. Early career and breakthrough (2009-2010)

Rudisha made his senior international debut at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, where he reached the 800 meters semi-finals. In September 2009, he achieved a significant breakthrough by winning the IAAF Grand Prix meeting in Rieti, Italy. There, he set a new African record of 1:42.01, surpassing the 25-year-old record of 1:42.28 held by his compatriot Sammy Koskei. This performance positioned him as the fourth-fastest man all-time in the 800 meters.

In the 2010 Diamond League season, Rudisha continued his impressive form. At the Bislett Games in Oslo in June, he competed against Abubaker Kaki and broke Sebastian Coe's 31-year-old meet record with a time of 1:42.04. This performance further solidified his position among the top-ten fastest 800-meter runners ever, while Kaki recorded the fastest non-winning time in the event's history. On July 10, at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden, Belgium, Rudisha lowered his personal best to 1:41.51, making him the second-fastest man all-time in the 800 meters.

2.3. World record progression (2010-2012)

Rudisha's remarkable progression culminated in two world record-breaking performances in 2010. On August 22, he broke Wilson Kipketer's 800-meter world record at the ISTAF Berlin meeting in Germany, clocking an astonishing 1:41.09. Just a week later, on August 29, he further lowered his own record at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rieti, achieving 1:41.01. This made him the first athlete to hold two consecutive world records in the 800 meters since Sebastian Coe in 1981.

His dominance in 2010 earned him four victories on the Diamond League circuit, securing his first 800-meter Diamond Trophy. In November of that year, at the age of 21, he became the youngest athlete ever to win the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award. He was also honored as the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year.

In 2011, Rudisha claimed his first senior global title at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics held in Daegu, South Korea, winning the 800 meters event with a time of 1:43.91. He also triumphed in three Diamond League races that season, securing his second consecutive overall 800-meter Diamond Race title.

Leading up to the 2012 London Olympics, Rudisha continued to demonstrate his elite form. At the 2012 adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium in New York City, he set the United States all-comers 800-meter record with a time of 1:41.74. He then secured his selection for the Kenyan Olympic team for the first time with a win at the Kenyan trials, running 1:42.12, which was the fastest time ever recorded at altitude. In his final race before the Olympics, he won at the Paris Diamond League, clocking a new world-leading time of 1:41.54.

2.4. 2012 London Olympics

On August 9, 2012, at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, David Rudisha delivered a performance that has been widely acclaimed as "The Greatest 800 Meter Race Ever." Leading from start to finish, he won the gold medal and, in doing so, became the first and, to date, only runner to break the 1 minute 41 second barrier for the 800 meters, setting a new world record of 1:40.91.

Rudisha's race strategy was aggressive and dominant. He completed the first 200 meters in 23.4 seconds, followed by 25.88 seconds for the second 200 meters, a crucial 25.02 seconds for the third, and a final 26.61 seconds to bring it home. He passed the 400-meter mark in 49.28 seconds and by 600 meters, his lead had extended to several meters. Despite a slight gain from second-place finisher Nijel Amos in the final straight, Rudisha's gap was insurmountable.

The race was extraordinary not just for Rudisha's record, but for the exceptional performances of all his competitors. Sports journalist David Epstein summarized it as "WR, NR, PB, PB, PB, NR, SB, PB," indicating that participants achieved a world record, national records, personal bests, and a season's best. Nijel Amos, the silver medalist, set a new world junior record and became only the fifth man in history to run under 1:42, a feat Rudisha has achieved seven times. The IAAF noted that "With Rudisha breaking 1:41, two men under 1:42, five under 1:43 and all eight under 1:44, it was the greatest depth 800m race in history." Every competitor ran either a personal or season's best. Remarkably, the time set by the eighth-placed finisher, Andrew Osagie (1:43.77), would have been sufficient to win gold at the three preceding Olympic Games in Beijing, Athens, and Sydney.

Rudisha's record was particularly notable for the absence of pacemakers, which are not permitted in Olympic or major championship races. He was also the first person to win an Olympic 800-meter final with a world record since Alberto Juantorena in 1976, and the first reigning 800-meter world champion to win Olympic gold at that distance. Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Olympics organizing committee and a former 800-meter world record holder himself, declared Rudisha's performance "the performance of the Games, not just of track and field but of the Games," adding, "Bolt was good, Rudisha was magnificent. That is quite a big call but it was the most extraordinary piece of running I have probably ever seen."

Before the race, Rudisha had playfully remarked about his father's 1968 400-meter relay silver medal, saying, "It would be good for me to win gold, so we can have gold and silver in our family [...] so I can tell him, 'I am better than you.'" He later admitted that winning the race in front of Sebastian Coe, who held the 800-meter record for over 17 years, made it personally the greatest 800-meter race for him. This victory was also seen as a triumph for his community and tribe. Following his Olympic success, Rudisha received the Association of National Olympic Committees Award for Best Male Athlete of London 2012 and was honored by the government of Kenya with the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS).

2.5. 2013-2015: Injuries and second world title

The 2013 season proved challenging for Rudisha, as he was unable to compete for much of the year, including missing the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, due to an injury.

He made his return to major competition in 2014, winning a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, finishing behind Nijel Amos with a time of 1:45.48. On June 5, at the Birmingham Diamond League, he attempted to break Johnny Gray's 600-meter world best of 1:12.81, though he missed the record, he set a new personal best of 1:13.10. He concluded his season by finishing third at the Weltklasse in Zurich, again being outpaced by Nijel Amos, settling for 1:43.96.

Despite pulling up injured during a 600-meter race at the Golden Spike in Ostrava on May 26, 2015, Rudisha recovered swiftly. He went on to win the 800 meters at the New York City Grand Prix on June 13 with a time of 1:43.58. His resilience was further demonstrated at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China, where he claimed his second world 800-meter title. In a more tactical race, after a first lap of 54.17 seconds, he pulled away from the field to win in 1:45.84.

2.6. 2016 Rio Olympics

On June 5, 2016, Rudisha once again attempted to break the 600-meter world best at the Birmingham Diamond League. While he did not achieve the world best, he set a new African best of 1:13.10, which was the second-fastest time ever recorded for the distance. He secured his qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympics by finishing third at the Kenyan Olympic Trials with a time of 1:44.23.

At the Rio Olympics, Rudisha successfully defended his Olympic title, winning gold in the 800 meters with a time of 1:42.15. This made him the first person since Peter Snell in 1964 to win back-to-back Olympic 800-meter titles. The final race began at a very fast pace, with fellow Kenyan Alfred Kipketer leading through the first 200 meters in 23.2 seconds. Rudisha stayed close behind, passing the 400-meter mark in 49.3 seconds. With just under 300 meters remaining, Rudisha launched a powerful surge to the front, creating a significant gap that proved too large for Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria to close in the final stretch. His winning time was his fastest since the 2012 London Olympic final and also the fastest time in the world for 2016.

2.7. Later career, accidents, and retirement

Following his second Olympic gold, Rudisha's career saw fewer competitions due to recurring injuries. In 2017, he finished fourth at the Shanghai Diamond League meet on May 13 with a time of 1:45.36, in a race won by Kipyegon Bett. He then attempted the 1000 metres for the first time at the Golden Spike Ostrava, finishing fourth and setting a personal best time of 2:19.43. His final race of his career was a victory in the 800 meters at the Gyulai István Memorial in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, on July 4, with a time of 1:44.90.

In 2019, Rudisha was involved in a head-on car collision with a bus near Keroka, Kenya. Despite the frontal impact, he was not seriously injured. His plans to defend his title at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were ultimately thwarted by persistent injuries, preventing him from attempting to become the first man to win three consecutive Olympic 800-meter titles. In December 2022, Rudisha was among five people who survived a plane crash-landing in Kenya. These incidents and ongoing injury struggles led to his eventual retirement from competitive athletics.

4.1. Family

Rudisha is married to Lizzy Naanyu, and as of 2015, they are parents to two daughters. His family has a strong athletic lineage; his father, Daniel Rudisha, was a silver medalist in the 4 × 400 meter relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, and his mother, Naomi, was a 400-meter hurdler.

4.2. Interests

Beyond athletics, David Rudisha is a known supporter of the English football club Arsenal F.C..

5.1. International competitions

5.2. Circuit wins and titles

David Rudisha was the overall Diamond League 800 meters winner in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons. His individual 800 meter victories and other notable event wins on the Diamond League circuit include:

• 2010 (4 wins):** Doha Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix (World Lead, Meet Record), Oslo Bislett Games (World Lead, Meet Record), Lausanne Athletissima, Brussels Memorial Van Damme.
• 2011 (4 wins):** Lausanne, Monaco Herculis (World Lead), London Grand Prix (promotional events), Brussels.
• 2012 (3 wins):** Doha, New York Adidas Grand Prix (World Lead, Meet Record), Paris Meeting Areva.
• 2013 (2 wins):** Doha Qatar Athletic (World Lead), New York.
• 2014 (3 wins):** New York, Glasgow Grand Prix (equal World Lead), Birmingham British Athletics Grand Prix (600m).
• 2015 (1 win):** New York (Season Best).
• 2016 (1 win):** Birmingham (600m, World Lead, Meet Record, African Best).

5.3. Personal bests

Rudisha's personal best times across various middle-distance events are:

• 400 metres: 45.15 (Nairobi, 2013)
• 500 metres: 57.69 (Newcastle, 2016) - World Best (Note: This was a road race and the course was slightly downhill for the first 328 ft ^{(100 m)}.)
• 600 metres: 1:13.10 (Birmingham, 2016) - African Best
• 800 metres: 1:40.91 (London, 2012) - World Record, Olympic Record
• 1000 metres: 2:19.43 (Ostrava, 2017)

5.4. Awards and honors

David Rudisha has received numerous accolades for his achievements:

• IAAF World Athlete of the Year: 2010
• Track & Field News Athlete of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2012 (three consecutive awards)
• Kenyan Sportsman of the Year: 2010
• Association of National Olympic Committees Award for Best Male Athlete of London 2012
• Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) from the government of Kenya

6.1. World and Olympic records

Rudisha is the current world record and Olympic record holder in the 800 meters. He achieved his current world record of 1:40.91 at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This performance made him the first and only person in history to run the 800 meters in under 1 minute and 41 seconds. He also holds the distinction of having set the three fastest times ever recorded in the 800 meters, each of which was a world record at the time it was achieved:

• 1:41.09 (Berlin, August 22, 2010)
• 1:41.01 (Rieti, August 29, 2010)
• 1:40.91 (London, August 9, 2012)