David Rudisha celebrates his world 800m record of 1:41.09 at the 2010 ISTAF Berlin meeting (© AFP / Getty Images)
Athletics continuously produces lasting memories at the Olympic Games. One of the treasured moments transpired 12 years ago on 9 August at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where Kenya’s David Rudisha staged an extraordinary world 800m record-shattering performance of 1:40.91. He became the first man to run the 800m under 1:41 and that record is yet to be broken.
It was fitting that exactly 12 years on, the two-time Olympic and world champion marked the anniversary by contributing to the growing historic trove of the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).
“There have been only four world record-holders at the distance since 1975,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “David is one of them, and he's obviously the fastest of them all. So, I’m really grateful that we're able to celebrate his achievements in our museum.”
A couple of hours after Friday’s men’s 800m semifinals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Rudisha handed over to Coe the signed white spikes he wore when broke the world 800m record for the first time with 1:41.09 in Berlin in 2010.
“I've donated my first world record spikes to the museum, and this is really something very special,” he said. “I have been keeping them safe, most of my family members have never seen them. We treasure it because it carries a lot of memories during our time when you are running.
“It really means a lot and to donate them here, I feel very honored. I believe that this is going to inspire the younger generation and also to tell the story of our sport.”
The handover ceremony was held at the Stade de France before the evening session of day nine of the athletics programme in Paris and Coe thanked Rudisha for his immense contribution to the sport.
“David is quite simply the best 800m runner of all time,” he said, speaking on the eve of the men’s 800m final. “And it really doesn't matter what happens in this stadium tomorrow. He will still be, in my opinion, the best 800m runner. His performance in London was definitive from gun to tape and a world record. It doesn't get any better.”
David Rudisha hands his 1:41.09 world record spikes to Sebastian Coe for the MOWA (© James Rhodes)
On the Sunday afternoon of 22 August 2010, Rudisha – then 21 years old – broke a 13-year-old world record of 1:41.11 previously held by Wilson Kipketer.
Rudisha went to Berlin with the fastest time of the season. His request to his pacer Sammy Tangui was to take him through the first lap under 49 seconds. Tangui went lower, with 48.68. At the bell, Rudisha pushed on hard over the last lap and stopped the clock at 1:41.09. Rudisha excused himself from the press conference, to meditate on the race.
“We (Rudisha and Tangui) had a plan and thought ‘why can’t we just try something different?’,” he said.
“We did exactly as we planned. We crossed in 48 seconds and I tried to push the second lap. It was hard. I was really impressed to cross the line and say, ‘wow, 1:41:09’ – it was the world record.”
A week later, he lowered the world record again, this time at the World Challenge meeting in Rieti where he clocked 1:41.01. The same year he won four Diamond League meetings and signed off an incredible season with the World Athlete of the Year award.
Confidence was Rudisha’s armour, he was a man not afraid to push the boundaries to achieve his goals and dreams. That was the case in Berlin, Rieti and London. He always knew when he was going to run fast.
Rudisha had introduced himself to the international athletics scene in 2006 by winning the world 800m U20 title. He would go on to dominate the 800m in a career spanning 11 years.
Persistent injuries forced him to step away from racing and he last competed in 2017. He has since taken up ambassadorial roles at the World Championships in Budapest and World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
“My athletics career has been like a special journey. I’m really satisfied with my achievement, because I have done what any athlete would ever wish to achieve,” he said. “If you talk about the world record, I have done that three times, World Championships two times and the Olympics again twice. This really means a lot because those are the highest achievement in athletics.”
Michelle Katami for World Athletics
