Will think about running marathons only after retirement, say 800m Olympic champion David Rudisha

David Rudisha celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in men’s 800m at the Rio Olympics. Image credits: Getty

 

 

What’s the story?

On the sidelines of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, which is all set to go underway on the 15th of January, international ambassador David Rudisha spoke to the media in Mumbai on Thursday. 

The 28-year old Kenyan athlete who won the gold medal at the London Olympics with a world record time of 1:40:91 described his experience at the 2012 Games: “It was a fantastic outing since it was my first Olympics and a landmark moment in my career but I had a lot of family pressure going into it, since my father was an Olympian in 1968. Nonetheless, I had prepared myself in a certain way at the beginning of the season, such that I was pretty confident and comfortable on race day.”

When asked whether he would be in the fray for Tokyo Olympics, Rudisha said, “Tokyo is my main aim now, it’s a drive pushing me forward. I know it’s not easy but that is where I am setting my bar. By 2020, I shall be 31 but still I think it’s a good age bracket to compete in at the Olympics.”

In case you didn’t know...

David Rudisha has not only won two Olympic gold medals but also finished as the World Champion in 800m on two occasions in 2011 and 2015. 

He has to his name, six of the top eight fastest times in the 800m. When he started off in 2006, he had claimed the World Junior Championship over the course of 800m. 

Four years after the London Olympics at the Rio Olympics, the Kenyan went on to defend his title and won the gold yet again, this time around with a timing of 1:42:25.

The heart of the matter

David Rudisha is currently in Bombay as the International Event Ambassador of the 2017 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. He will be flagging off the marathon for the elite athletes on the 15th of January, Sunday. 

At a media conference, when Rudisha was asked about his openness to running marathons, the 800m world champion said that he could only think about being a long distance runner in cities like New York, London and Mumbai but that would be possible only post his retirement and for charity purposes. 

What’s next?

Rudisha will not take part in the Mumbai marathon but may compete in a host of marathons this year. The IAAF World Championship is the most prominent event in this year’s calendar, with the next edition taking place at London in August 2017. 

Sportskeeda’s take

To have someone of David Rudisha’s stature cheering participants from the sidelines at the Mumbai Marathon would be a major boost for the event as well as the runners participating.

He serves as an inspiration and a role model to aspiring athletes all across the globe, and it is a superb initiative by the organisers to bring in the Olympic champion to India.