THE KING IS BACK! David Rudisha caps yet another golden day for Kenya in Beijing
What you need to know:
- It was a sweet victory for Rudisha, who had failed to defend the crown he won in 2011 Daegu when a knee injury locked him out of the 2013 Moscow Worlds.
- Rudisha’s moments of glory came after Bett had made history, winning Kenya its first sprints gold in 400m hurdles.
Olympic champion and World 800m record-holder David Rudisha won his second world title when he blew away the field in 1 minute 45.84 seconds at the Bird’s Nest, Beijing, China on Tuesday.
It was a sweet victory for Rudisha, who had failed to defend the crown he won in 2011 Daegu, when a knee injury locked him out of the 2013 Moscow Worlds.
Rudisha, 26, unleashed his kick on the homestretch to triumph, leaving Adam Kszczot (1:46.08) of Poland to settle for silver with Amel Tuka (1:46.30) from Bosnia taking bronze. Others Kenyans Ferguson Rotich (1:46.35) and Alfred Kipketer (1:47.66) finished fourth and eighth respectively.
Rudisha’s moments of glory came moments after Bett had made history, winning Kenya its first sprints gold in 400m hurdles. It also came after Faith Chepng’etich had won silver in women’s 1,500m in 4:08.96 to see Kenya uphold its top position in the medal standing with four gold, three silver and two bronze.
Kenya's Nicholas Bett savours victory after winning the final of the men's 400 metres hurdles athletics event at the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing on August 25, 2015. PHOTO | FRANCK FIFE | AFP
Kenya's Nicholas Bett celebrates winning the final of the men's 400 metres hurdles athletics event at the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing on August 25, 2015. PHOTO | OLIVIER MORIN | AFP
Kenya's Nicholas Bett cannot believe it after winning the men's 400 metres hurdles athletics event at the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing on August 25, 2015. He died in a road crash on August 8, 2018 in Nandi County. PHOTO | PEDRO UGARTE | AFP
The world record-holder was making his third appearance at the World Championships after the 2009 Berlin and 2011 Daegu. He won gold in Daegu but his phenomenal performance at the 2012 London Olympics where he broke his own World record for the third time clocking 1:40.91, inked his name in the athletics' history books.
Rudisha broke the World record for the first time in August 2010 with a time of 1:41.09 before lowering it again to 1:41.01 within a week before shuttering it at the 2012 London Olympics where he became the only runner to break the 1:41 barrier in the two-lap race.
