'Maybe I’ll have an opportunity to watch that'- David Rudisha welcomes the inevitable

David Rudisha remains unfazed by the prospect of his 800m world record being broken Image source: Imago

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David Rudisha remains unfazed by the prospect of his 800m world record being broken

'Maybe I’ll have an opportunity to watch that'- David Rudisha welcomes the inevitable

Abigael Wafula 12:54 - 27.02.2025

David Rudisha remains unfazed by the prospect of his 800m world record being broken anytime soon and is even looking forward to witnessing it happen live.

Two-time Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha is unbothered about the chances of his 800m world record being broken as he watches.

David Rudisha set the 800m world record at the 2012 London Olympic Games, clocking an astonishing 1:40.91, and the record stands to date.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi is the only athlete of this generation to get close to the record, having clocked 1:41.11 at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne.

There is a certain pride that comes when an athlete, whether retired or active, has a world record to their name and for David Rudisha, the feeling is no different. However, he revealed that he does not worry about the record being broken and is in fact looking forward to that moment.

He expressed the desire to be at the stadium watching the action live, insisting that such moments only happen once in a lifetime.

In 2024, the 800m experienced significant changes in the times being run by athletes including Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Djamel Sedjati, Marco Arop and Gabriel Tual.

“I’m not under any pressure, I’m not actively running now and the standards have already been set,” David Rudisha said.

“As we were introducing ourselves into the field we found records that had been set by athletes who came before us or even the current ones, so that is the bar I set before I left the track.

“World records are very special and personally, I’ve never seen a record being broken live but maybe I’ll have an opportunity to watch that. this is one thing we get to see once in a lifetime. I wish them well.”

David Rudisha further pointed out that the 800m athletes are very strong, and one thing that’s on their radar at the moment is the world record.

He revealed that so many things have evolved and breaking the record will not necessarily be like climbing a sugar candy but it will be a bit easier than the days when he used to compete.

The two-time world champion explained that the invention of super shoes will indeed be a game changer, not only in long-distance races and road races but also the shorter distances.

“The athletes who are coming up now are moving at that level and that is what they are dreaming of and they want to beat it,” Rudisha explained.

“It’s good to see them achieving that and to show the world that with technology can turn the world around. They are using some of the best spikes to train currently, not like the ones we used before. It is for them to perform well and it will be good to see them reaching those limits.”

As David Rudisha awaits the moment of truth, the 800m runners are sharpening their talons with various training routines. Marco Arop completed a half marathon at the end of last year, probably to work on his endurance.

On his part, Emmanuel Wanyonyi competed in cross-country races as usual to help build his endurance ahead of the track season. The 800m will be a thrilling affair, and now the one question remains: When is the world record likely to be broken?