LONDON, (Reuters) – Kenya’s smooth-running 800 metres world record holder David Rudisha has ruled out competing in either the 400 or 1500 events in the near future.
“It is very hard to double, it’s a little bit tricky. I don’t think I can take a risk to double so I am really working towards the 800,” the 22-year-old said in a conference call from his African home yesterday.
Rudisha will attempt to land his first world title at the Aug. 27-Sept. 4 world championships in Daegu, South Korea while also competing in the $50 million elite Diamond League 14-event schedule that starts on May. 6 in Doha and ends in September.
Rudisha broke Wilson Kipketer’s 13-year record by 0.02 seconds in Berlin last August before bettering that with 1:41:01 a week later in the Italian venue of Rieti.
The effortless manner in which Rudisha sweeps around the track has led to talk of him breaking the elusive 1 minute and 40 seconds barrier.
“I said that as a possibility but it’s not that easy and this year there are other things to concentrate on, the world championships being the priority,” he said.
“After that I will see if I can do one or two fast races.”
There are two Diamond League meetings after the biennial world championships, in Zurich on Sept. 8 and Sept. 16 in Brussels.
“This year I think I’m a little bit behind in my training, but I think I’m going to do well in Doha,” Rudisha said, adding he would also run in Rome on May 26 and in the non-Diamond League Ostrava meet on May 31.
“I think Rome is a good place for a fast time,” he said.
So far this year Rudisha has run 1:43:88 to retain his Melbourne Track Classic title last month.
The 1.90-metre Kenyan has never run in London and preferred not to think about the 2012 Olympics where he could emulate his father’s silver medal in the 4×400 relay at the 1968 Mexico City games.
“We’ll see when the times comes, I can’t talk about that now,” he said.
