Why Rudisha Is Not Returning Back To The Track

NAIROBI, Kenya- World 800m men’s record holder David Rudisha has officially hang his spikes, he says many factors have led him to make the painful decision to exit the sport he loves.

One of the factors is age which the two time world champion admits has caught up with him in his process of healing.

The 33-year old has been on and off the track severally due to injuries, with his last stint in action in 2020.

While he is exiting the athletics action scene, the double Olympic champion is nonetheless happy that his legacy in the discipline is being furthered by other young world beaters like Emmanuel Korir who is currently ruling the Olympics and the worlds.

“I’m not coming back to compete, I have not even resumed training, I have reached my end in the game, I feel so much time has passed in my healing process so I leave the boys (Korir and Ferguson Cheruiyot) to carry on with my legacy,” Rudisha told Standard Sports.

“I’m actually happy, I don’t have any regrets doing so because my absence is so well covered by the boys, their victories in the Tokyo Olympics shows the category still belongs to Kenya,” Rudisha stated.

Rudisha was speaking at the Kenya Rugby Union grounds in Nairobi where he took part in the Gaelic games (football, hurling and camogie) to support sustainable actions on climate change.

Unlike other short distance athletes who are recreating themselves by switching to the marathons due to age, Rudisha has ruled out long distance running saying his body is built just for the short races.

“The 800m is a rapid contest which needs one to be young and agile, but my age now do not allow. I would have loved to return back to athletics probably in the marathon but the truth is that my body favours only short distance races, so I think it’s the end of me as far as participating in athletics is concerned,” he stated.

However, Rudisha has hinted out that he is planning to return to the world of athletics as a coach, a skill he is now gaining from his Irish tactician Brother Colm O’Connell.

“Apart from the coaching role, I’m also inspiring, motivating and mentoring upcoming athletes back at home in Kilgoris,” he said.

As coach, Rudisha would love to see the end of the doping menace that has gripped the country. His hope is that the new Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba will reign supreme on the vice which he says is tarnishing Kenya’s image globally.

“Doping should be criminalized, it should be equated to drug trafficking, the government should meet strict punishment on the coaches, athletes and the doctors involved,” says Rudisha.

“I urge our athletes to run clean, they should avoid shortcuts to wealth, they should compete with integrity and honesty,” he advises.

Rudisha is also urging the government to save the steeplechase race which the country has now become a pale shadow of itself after dominating the discipline for over 40 years.

“Missing the Olympic and the World championship golds should be a wakeup call to the country that other nations are not sleeping and are working tirelessly to spread their wings in other athletics categories,” he underlined.

And does he believe his world record will be smashed very soon?

Rudisha underlines that the record will take a while for it to be broken, going by statistics from other former athletes like Sebastian Coe and Wilson Kipketer who smashed the record after a protracted period.

“I have been holding this record for 12 years now, I’m not seeing it being broken any soon,” Rudisha stated.

Rudisha has also heaped praises on Coe saying the global athletics boss has done much to help Africa and other continents to improve in the sport, citing Kenya’s award of the rights to host the World U-18 and U-20 in the recent past.

“Coe is a great friend, we have a special connection in the 800m discipline where we are former record holders in the category,” he said.

Rudisha has also heaped praises on Africa 100m men’s record holder Ferdinand Omanyala for breaking barriers in the sprints and affirming to Kenyans that they can do better in other races apart from the long distances.

David Rudisha selected achievements

Olympic Games

Gold medal – first place          2012 London  800 m

Gold medal – first place          2016 Rio de Janeiro    800 m

World Championships

Gold medal – first place          2015 Beijing    800 m

Gold medal – first place          2011 Daegu     800 m

World Junior Championships

Gold medal – first place          2006 Beijing    800 m

Commonwealth Games

Silver medal – second place   2014 Glasgow 800 m

African Championships

Gold medal – first place          2010 Nairobi   800 m

Gold medal – first place          2008 Addis Ababa      800 m

Representing Africa (orthographic projection).svg Africa

Continental Cup

Gold medal – first place          2010 Split        800 m