Rudisha bounces back in New York

Olympics 800m champion and world record-holder David Rudisha is back.

The 25-year-old atoned for his seventh place finish in Eugene two weeks ago to record his season best 1min 44.63 seconds for victory in New York Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Both races are part of this season’s IAAF Diamond League series. It was Rudisha’s third straight victory in New York, having won in 2012 and last year and could signal the return of the 2011 World champion  from a knee injury that sidelined him for the better part of last year.

Rudisha, who was aiming to run 1:43 before the race, didn’t go as fast as he had asked the pacemaker, coming to 400m in 51 seconds and on the home straight, he did just enough to seal the win.

Rudisha ran the American all time best in 2012, gliding to 1:41.51 on his way to bettering his World Record in a time of 1:40.91 at the 2012 London Olympic Games final.

TOUGH RACE

“It was tough, but I’m happy to have run 1:44. In the beginning, I started pushing. The last 100m was a little tough. I started a bit late with my training this year,” Rudisha said after timing 1:44.87  for seventh place at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, USA, last month.

Mark English of Ireland (1:45.03) and home runner Duane Solomon (1:45.13) wrapped up the podium places in the two-lap races as Kenyan champion, Ferguson Rotich wound seventh in 1:45.90.

Worlds 5,000m silver medallist, Mercy Cherono, upheld her good form dominating to win women’s 3000m in 8:39.84 as compatriot Betsy Saina came second in 8:40.65. It’s Ethiopian Kalkidan Gezahegne (8:42.54), who halted what could have been a sweep of the podium places for Kenya, finishing third ahead of Olympics 10,000m silver medallist Sally Kipyego (8:43.43).

Kenya’s Purity Totich (9:23.43-SB) and Lydia Chepkurui (9:27.42) finished second in women’s 3,000m steeplechase won by Ethiopian Assefa Sofia in a Meet Record time of 9:18.58. Swedish World champion Abeba Aregawi set another Meet Record when she won women’s 1,500m race in 4:00.13, beating the previous time of 4:01.60 set by Kenya’s Jebet Lagat set in 2010.

The best Kenyan to finish the race was Irene Jelagat in sixth place, clocking 4:04.07.

Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, also on the comeback trail after a hamstring injury prevented him from defending his 100m world title last year, was disappointed in the 100m, unable to recover from a poor start and finishing runner-up to compatriot Nesta Carter.

Carter clocked 10.09sec in the race run in a headwind, while Blake finished in 10.21.