Always wanted Olympic gold, says 800m champion Rudisha

New Delhi - London Olympics 800 metres champion David Rudisha of Kenya said here Friday that he always wanted to be a World and Olympic Champion.

Rudisha set the track on fire when he won the 800 metres gold breaking his own world record at the recently concluded Olympics in the British capital Aug 9.

“My ambition always was to be an Olympic and World Champion and also hold the world record,” said the 23-year-old who has accomplished all the his discipline has to offer.

He won the 2011 World Championship gold in Daegu, South Korea, breaking the world record.

“It was the best moment of my life winning the gold medal at the Olympics. I had the world record and World Championship to my name. This was the only thing missing so I really wanted to win it,” said Rudisha, who is the event ambassador of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon Sunday.

“Before the start of the final race, I was actually planning to go for a 1.41 (minutes), that too without a pace-setter. When I won, I didn’t know that I had broken my own world record.

“I pushed really hard in the back straight during the race which I think helped me get the world record. I told my manager James during the warm-ups that if I finish the first 400 metres in 49 seconds, I can push in the last 400 to finish the race in 1:41 minutes,” said the Kenyan.

Coming from a country which has given the world several World Champions in athletics and distance running, Rudisha was of the opinion that although the country has done well but there have been very few athletes from his own community.

“I’m from the Masai community, which hasn’t produced enough international level athletes. Most of the athletes come from high altitude regions.

“But when I won it was a different thing altogether. In our community, 22-year-old men are considered as warriors. So when I got back they said that I killed a lion by breaking the world record,” Rudisha added, whose father Daniel Rudisha won the silver in the 4X400-metre relay in the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

Interestingly, there have been talks going on about a possible unofficial race between Olympic 100 and 200 metres Champion Usain Bolt and Rudisha.

“Many people are talking about a possible race against Bolt but let’s see. He is a very fast sprinter. I think there is a fifty-fifty chance. He is quick in 100 and 200 metres and really is unmatchable. But over the distance I hold the edge,” said Rudisha, who is Bolt’s good friend.

“If I prepare myself for more speed who knows I might be capable of beating him. We congratulated each other at the Olympics and we keep meeting at a lot of places.”

The world record holder said his next aim is to win the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and the next Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Rudisha is also very much interested in cricket and is following the ongoing World Twenty20 being held in Sri Lanka.

“I think India is a good team and they will do well. I support Kenya but as you know we are not a great cricket team.”