Rudisha Ready to Inspire Young Runners

By World Athletics 

World middle distance legend David Rudisha has revealed how he was inspired by his father, an Olympic silver medalist, to excel in the sport where he established a niche in the 800m.

In the latest episode of the World Athletics Inside Sport podcast, Rudisha opens up about his career on and off the track.

Podcast hosts Sanya Richards-Ross and Kelly Sotherton opened the chat by asking Rudisha about his inspiration for getting into athletics, and it was no surprise that he credited his father.

“Growing up in Kenya is a special thing because Kenya is one of the countries that really loves sports,” he said. “But I was inspired by my father who was an Olympic silver medalist at the 1968 Games in Mexico in the 4x400m relay. Growing up, that really motivated me.”

Having started his sporting career as a decathlete and volleyball player, Rudisha found his niche in the 800m. He credits his coach during his junior years for instilling the dream of competing at the Olympics, something he achieved at the London Olympics in 2012.

“London 2012 was my first Olympic Games. Back when I was training as a junior, my coach would emphasize to us that we’d be ready to compete at the Olympics in 2012, so that stuck in my mind and for eight years I focused on the 2012 Olympics.”

Though he has indicated he has not officially announced his retirement, Rudisha said he enjoyed being the ambassador for this year’s World Indoor Championships, a role he hopes brought inspiration to the younger generation of athletes.

“It was really special because I got to enjoy the championships,” he said. “Being part of the athletics family really feels special, you get to meet the other athletes that competed with you, and it keeps us close. We get to promote sport and inspire the younger generation. It feels good when young people come to you for advice.”