News archive of 2011
David Rudisha was to run one more race before the conclusion of his very succesful season, but he must have felt like it was Berlin 2009 all over again. The weather in Milan was rather cold and it rained - exactly the sort of conditions that David doesn't like. Still, he must have thought that anything around 1:43.5 would probably be good enough for one final victory. After a good initial pace from pacemaker Sammy Tangui Rudisha took over and left most of the pack well behind - all except one, that is.
Mohamed Aman has been quite a revelation over the last few months. A senior record, run during the World Youth Championships was his first remarkable run. He made it to the final of the World Championships, setting another PB in the semifinal. Then, in Rieti, he improved by his PB by another second. In Brussels he came second after Rudisha, but before a host of experienced runners. And here, in the cold conditions in Milan, he stayed with Rudisha and simply refused to let go. Around the bend he already ran alongside of the great Champion. And as Rudisha struggled to maintain his pace the young Ethiopian crept past and won the race.
So, Rudisha can be beaten after all, although perhaps only when it is raining. Even so it was a terrific performance by Aman, who ran an astounding 1:43.50 in such chilly conditions. Next season he will possibly be even faster - the Kenyan camp may well have yet another Ethiopian rival to reckon with.
Result: 1. Mohamed Aman ETH 1:43.50 2. David Rudisha KEN 1:43.57 3. Marcin Lewandoski POL 1:45.05 4. Amine el Manaoui MAR 1:45.46 5. Nicholas Kipkoech KEN 1:45.47 6. Jeff Riseley AUS 1:45.57 7. Giordano Benedetti ITA 1:46.32 8. Mor Seck SEN 1:46.68
The Diamond League final was the last major meeting of a long season. David Rudisha was going to have one more serious clash with Abubaker Kaki, but the Sudanese dropped out after the first lap. So Rudisha could concentrate on front running against the clock once more. The predictable outcome was that the World Champion finished first, thereby winning the Diamond League for the second year running. That finished off a near perfect season for David Rudisha - World Champion and unbeaten all year.
Result: 1. David Rudisha KEN 1:43.96 2. Mohamed Aman ETH 1:44.29 3. Asbel Kiprop KEN 1:44.46 4. Marcin Lewandowski POL 1:44.53 5. Alfred Kirwa Yego KEN 1:44.98 6. Andreas Bube DEN 1:45.04 7. Jackson Mumbwa Kivuva KEN 1:45.27 8. Bram Som NED 1:45.81 - Abubaker Kaki SUD DNF
And yet another victory. Although he didn't quite look as invincible as usual David Rudisha still scored a clear win in Brussels at the Diamond League final. He won the competition for the second year in a row.
Rieti is possibly the best place to run middle distance races on earth. Time and time again fast times are run here. So now that he is World Champion Rieti was obviously the place where Rudisha would want to run another fast time and perhaps a World Record.
The first lap was extremely fast: 24.02 and 48.30 for pacemaker Tangui. Bram Som took over for another bit but Rudisha took the lead well before reaching 600 m in 1:14.28. At that point he was slightly faster than last year during his record breaking run of 1:41.01. Perhaps, in retrospect, that third part, run below 26 seconds, had been run even a bit too fast. Storming to the finish Rudisha couldn't quite keep up that pace and needed over 27 seconds for the last 200 m, finishing in 1:41.33. Another incredibly fast time (only Kipketer and the man himself were ever faster) but just short of the first time below 1:41 that he really wanted. Still, the fifth fastest time ever run - his third best of all time - what a performance!
Behind him the other athletes looked like spectators, and yet Kszczot improved his own PB with exactly one full second and Mohammed Aman set yet another Ethiopian record improving his own mark with more than a second! And to put things in even more perspective: Jeff Riseley finished last, but set a big new PB and ran the fastest time by an Australian since the 1968 Olympic games!
Result: 1. David Rudisha KEN 1:41.33 2. Adam Kszczot POL 1:43.30 3. Mohammed Aman ETH 1:43.37 4. Alfred Kirwa Yego KEN 1:44.07 5. Marcin Lewandowski POL 1:44.53 6. Jackson Kivuva KEN 1:44.53 7. Jeffrey Riseley AUS 1:44.64
Just missed it! David Rudisha runs yet another incredibly fast time in Rieti. At the finish he was just fractions short of his own World Record set at the same track last year.
The story was so familiar that everybody knew it. David Rudisha is the king of the distance but a major title was missing. Two years ago a sudden burst of cold weather had made him feel uncomfortable whereupon he missed qualification for the final. In 2010 he won everything that he possibly could win. Two World Records, The Diamond League and Athlete of the Year. Next two years I will be going for Championships Rudisha promised.
First stop: Daegu. No problems in the semi this time. Or in the final. David took the lead, set a reasonable pace to make sure he kept in front and blasted through the last 150 m with the strides of a champion. As expected no-one could really challenge him. Kaki and Borzakovskiy at least were not too far behind and both got medals for their efforts, but the gold could only go to one man.
Result: 1. David Rudisha KEN 1:43.91 2. Abubaker Kaki SUD 1:44.41 3. Yuriy Borzakovskiy RUS 1:44.49 4. Marcin Lewandowski POL 1:44.80 5. Nick Symmonds USA 1:45.12 6. Adam Kszczot POL 1:45.25 7. Alfred Kirwa Yego KEN 1:45.83 8. Mohammed Aman ETH 1:45.93
World Champion! David Rudisha celebrates after winning the 2011 World Championships. Although he had already improved the 800 m World Record twice this was his first major title.
It wasn't a Diamond League race so there were no points at stake. But it was still one of the most anticipated events in the London Diamond League meeting, because Rudisha would run against Kaki for the first time this season. If anyone could beat Rudisha it had to be Kaki. The winner would surely build a lot of confidence on the road to the World Championships.
In the end there wasn't much drama. Rudisha made sure he was on the heels of the pacemaker, ahead of Kaki. And although Kaki was quite close behind all the way he never looked likely to actually challenge the lead. And so the World Record holder scored yet another victory in yet another very fast time. One wonders if anyone can really challenge him in Daegu.
Result: 1. David Rudisha KEN 1:42.91 2. Abubaker Kaki SUD 1:43.13 3. Boaz Lalang KEN 1:44.13 4. Nick Symmonds USA 1:44.40 5. Andrew Osagie GBR 1:45.36 6. Bram Som NED 1:45.69 7. Mukhtar Mohammed GBR 1:46.35 8. Gareth Warburton GBR 1:46.52 9. Abraham Chepkirwok UGA 1:49.82
The battle of the giants. David Rudisha leads Abubaker Kaki and will win the race in London. The two athletes look bound to fight over the World Title in a few weeks time.
After an early success in Australia David Rudisha was troubled by an injury forcing him out of competition for a number of weeks. Would he still be as unbeatable as he was? In his first race, in France, he promisingly set the fastest time of the season. A win in Lausanne and three convincing performances back in Nairobi to take the Kenyan title also showed he was doing well. Doubts remained however, because he was still well over 2 seconds slower than his stellar world record races from last year.
But in Monaco Rudisha showed his real class again. He ran away from the field and never looked back. And even though Kiprop and Mutua both set fine PB's they couldn't threaten him. With yet another time below 1:43 Rudisha looks untouchable again - of his rivals only Kaki managed to run faster last year - but only once, and only behind Rudisha...
Result: 1. David Rudisha KEN 1:42.61 2. Asbel Kiprop KEN 1:43.15 3. Nick Symmonds USA 1:43.83 4. David Mutua KEN 1:43.99 5. Khadevis Robinson USA 1:44.03 6. Boaz Lalang KEN 1:44.22 7. Alfred Kirwa Yego KEN 1:44.55 8. Jeff Lastennet FRA 1:46.68
Still the fastest. Rudisha can celebrate yet another Diamond League victory. Although an injury forced him to miss a number of meetings he showed in Monaco he is still the man to beat.
It was hardly a surprise that the favourite for the World Youth 800 m title came from Kenya. But the way Leonard Kosencha dominated the race was sensational. A very fast first lap (50.85) already showed his intent, and even with victory in sight he was not letting off. Never before had the championship seen a winner go below 1:45 - Kosencha shattered that barrier by almost a second. And he will only turn 17 next month!
Behind him two more runners went below 1:45 as well. Mohammed Aman, finishing second, even set a new National (senior) Record! And Timothy Kitum, who came third, is even younger than his winning compatriot. But since all three were born in 1994 the World Youth best falls to Leonard Kirwa Kosencha. Apparently he comes from the same village as David Rudisha. Perhaps the great man should already start worrying about his neighbour becoming one of his main rivals.
Result: 1. Leonard Kosencha KEN 1:44.08 2. Mohammed Aman ETH 1:44.68 3. Timothy Kitum KEN 1:44.98 4. Hamza Driouch QAT 1:46.39 5. Nijel Amos BOT 1:47.28 6. Esrael Awoke ETH 1:48.94 7. Wesley Vazquez PUR 1:51.25 8. Abdelkerim Hussein ERI 1:51.85
Young and talented. Leonard Kirwa Kosencha on his way to the World Youth title in a new World Youth Record. Ethiopian Mohammed Aman will finish second and will run an extremely fast time as well.
It was going to be a duel between Polish and Spanish runners, but that scenario was totally gone halfway through the race when early leader Luis Alberto Marco slipped and fell. Robin Schembera was hampered severely by the incident and the unlucky German was so disappointed that he didn't even finish the race. All this threw the door wide open for the two Polish athletes and they took full advantage, taking gold and silver. It was no more than a minor consolation for the Spanish that López could claim the bronze with a late run.
Adam Kszczot was obviously very happy with his title, even more so because of the Polish 1-2. Yes, we are friends, but on the track we are rivals, he said. Lewandowski was equally happy - he might have been the pre-race favourite, but he had hardly prepared for the indoor season and he considered the silver to be a bonus. López on the other hand had mixed feelings. The bronze was nice, but mostly he felt sorry for his friend and co-favourite Luis Alberto Marco who was eliminated so unfortunately.
Result: 1. Adam Kszczot POL 1:47.87 2. Marcin Lewandowski POL 1:48.23 3. Kevin López ESP 1:48.35 4. Andrew Osagie GBR 1:48.50 5. Luis Alberto Marco ESP 2:00.58 - Robin Schembera GER dnf
