The King is back: David Rudisha resumes training
Olympic and World 800m champion David Rudisha jogs during a training session for the World Athletics Championships on July 22, 2017 at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Rudisha said the right leg hamstring injury that locked him out of the World Championships last year in London and later the sitting bone injury that hampered his return this year, have healed.
Olympic champion and World 800m world record-holder David Rudisha in back in training.
Rudisha said the right leg hamstring injury that locked him out of the World Championships last year in London and later, a sitting bone injury that hampered his return this year, have healed.
“I know my fans were worried where I have been with some saying that I have retired but let them know that I am back by God’s grace,” said Rudisha in an interview after his long run at Dagoretti Forest, Nairobi on Wednesday.
“I actually started last week with another long run at Karura Forest and my body feels great,” said Rudisha, who is eying to recapture the World 800m title he won in 2011 Daegu and 2015 Beijing at the World Championships in Doha next year.
The 29-year-old said that he targets to use the Doha Championships to gauge his preparedness for the Olympic title defence during the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan.
“I had some mild pain in my sitting bone towards the end of last year but it worsened early this year when I couldn’t kick well,” said Rudisha, who is delighted to make a comeback. “I was advised me to take a sabbatical for several months. It was tough but I had to remain calm and stay disciplined.”
Rudisha, who has been doing long runs of up to 10km, which he describes as "easy and cool", said he has started his training much earlier than usual.
Rudisha intends to start his speed work in December in Iten under his coach Bro Colm O'Connel.
“As I said sometimes back, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be important for me hence the Doha World Championships will be a good pointer,” said Rudisha, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion.
Rudisha’s last race was in Hungary on July 4 last year where he won the Székesfehérvár Gyulai István Memorial in 1:44.90. He was then given a wild card to Team Kenya for the World Championships in London.
Rudisha improved his world record when winning at the 2012 London Olympics in 1 minute and 40.91 seconds. “It’s after 2020 Tokyo Olympics, having claimed a hat-trick of World and Olympic titles that I will consider retiring from the track.”
