Rudisha leads a Kenyan galaxy in Lausanne

World 800m record holder David Rudisha runs his second race after a three-month injury lay-off on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland, confident about hitting top form in time for the World Championships.

The 22-year-old, who broke the two-lap the world record twice within a week last summer, has set the August 27-September 4 Worlds in South Korea as his goal for the season.

“My focus this year is on the World Championships in Daegu but that is still two months away and by then I am confident I will be running at my best,” said the 2010 IAAF World Athlete of the Year.

Rudisha had not competed since March due to tendinitis in his left foot but he made an impressive return to the track when he won a race meeting in the French city of Nancy in a season-leading time of one minute 43.46 seconds, albeit a bit slower than his 1:41.01 world record.

He however warned that, while records were important, winning major championships was the best way to underline athletic talent.

And having missed the Beijing Olympics because of a calf injury, Rudisha pinpointed the 2012 London Games as also being firmly in his radar.

“It is very important for me. I broke the world record twice last year but since then I have been saying that to be considered a great athlete you need to win championships besides breaking world records,” he said.

“The Olympics are of course a big target for me and to win in Daegu I would consider a vital step towards that.”

Rudisha, who won the Diamond Race title in the 800m last season, will leave Lausanne to race in the Kenyan trials on July 16 before returning to Monaco six days later and also competing in London on August 5.

“There is plenty of time and some good competitions for me to be back at my very best,” warned the runner, who was sent to train in high altitude St Patrick’s High School - Iten in the Rift Valley under Irishman Brother Colm O’Connell.

Not be guaranteed an easy ride

“Last year I was still very strong at the end of August and early September I expect the same this year. In fact, this injury might help me peak at just the right time. In a championship year you don’t want to reach your peak too early.”

In Thursday night’s seventh leg of the Diamond League Rudisha will not be guaranteed an easy ride with his Kenyan compatriots, 2007 world champion Alfred Yego and reigning Olympic 1,500m supremo Absel Kiprop, in the field, as well as the current world champion, South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, and European champion Marcin Lewandowski.

World and Olympic 800m silver medallist Janeth Jepkosgei faces South African star Caster Semenya, Irene Jelegat, Viola Kibiwot and Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain) in 1,500m.

World 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist and Doha, Rome and New York winner Milcah Chemos will be up against compatriots Mercy Njoroge and Lydia Rotich, Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) and Habiba Ghribi (Tunisia) in the water and hurdle race.

The 5,000m has Ethiopian duo of reigning Diamond Race 5,000m champion Imane Merga and Tariku Bekele taking on a Kenyan quartet of Vincent Chepkok, Augustine Choge, Mark Kiptoo, Edwin Soi, all sub-13 minute runners.

Throw in World Youth 3,000m champion Isaiah Kiplangat, whose 12:54.59 in the 12 laps in Rome is second only to the 13:01.93 Sammy Kipketer penned 11 years ago.