Rudisha acknowledged that he had relished being an underdog in the two-lap event. PHOTO: AFP
BEIJING: David Rudisha displayed all his tactical nous to claim a second world 800m title in Beijing on Tuesday and bury memories of a career-threatening knee injury that has wiped out two seasons.
The Kenyan Olympic champion and world record-holder led from gun to tape, clocking a relatively slow 1min 45.84sec for victory at a packed Bird’s Nest stadium.
Poland’s Adam Kszczot claimed silver in 1:46.08, with Bosnian Amel Tuka taking bronze (1:46.30), his country’s first-ever in the world champs.
He may be yet to break 1:43 this season, but Rudisha proved the perfect tactician on the night to see off all contenders and add to his triumph in Daegu in 2011, after injury forced him out of a title defence in Moscow two years ago.
“Today was more like a tactical race and that’s all I wanted to do,” said Rudisha, who added that a switch from endurance to speed work over the last month had paid dividends. “I knew I had my speed and there was nothing really to worry about because I wanted to run that way, to control my speed and then sprint in the last 150 as I planned.”
Bolt shrugs off Gatlin threat
Usain Bolt icily dismissed the threat of American Justin Gatlin after the fierce rivals cruised into the semi-finals of the 200m at the world championships on Tuesday.
The Jamaican superstar, who pipped two-time doping offender Gatlin to win gold in Sunday’s final in Beijing, eased up with some 50m to go after coming off the bend well ahead of the field to win his heat in 20.28sec.
“I’m always confident, man,” sniffed the six-time Olympic champion and world record-holder. “I knew the 200m was going to be harder because I’m not in the best frame of fitness,” added Bolt, who struggled with pelvic joint pain earlier in the season.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2015.
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