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Kenya’s David Rudisha Retains 800m Olympic Gold Medal

Kenya’s David Rudisha Retains 800m Olympic Gold Medal

Kenyan Olympic champion and world record holder David Rudisha successfully defended his Olympic men’s 800m crown at the Games in Rio, beating his rivals to win the gold medal for his country.

Rudisha qualified third fastest for the final in the semi-final round, but that did not matter to the Kenyan superstar, as he was determined to retain the title he won at the Olympic Games in London four years ago.

That determination was visible throughout the two-lap race, as he came out of the blocks fast, tracking fellow Kenyan Alfred Kipketer, who surged to an early lead and forced Rudisha to stay close on his heels. Kipketer could not keep up the early pace, however, and he faded in the final 400m.

Rudisha powered through the two laps, putting in a fantastic final 300m to secure the win in a time of one minute 42.15 seconds.

The man known in Kenya as ‘King David’ secured another piece of history, becoming the first athlete since New Zealander Peter Snell in 1964 to successfully defend his 800m title.

David Rudisha – The Comeback King

The victory was made all the more satisfying for the 27-year-old middle-distance runner due to the hardships that have followed since the 2012 Olympics, as the last few years have seen him work hard to recover from numerous injuries, including one which required knee surgery.

As a result he missed the 2013 world championships, and many did not believe that he would have what it took to retain the title that he won in world record time at London 2012, but he proved his doubters wrong.

Speaking to the media after his successful race, Rudisha was overjoyed with the result.

“I am so excited. It is the greatest moment of my career,” Rudisha enthused, according to BBCSport.

“Running 1:42, it’s just fantastic. I had no doubts before. The feeling in my body was good. It is great to win such a big competition,” he added.

Algerian 1500m defending champion from London 2012, Taoufik Makhloufi earned the silver medal in the men’s 800m behind Rudisha, while American Clayton Murphy set a personal best time to take bronze.