Record-breaker Rudisha: It's time to win titles

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — David Rudisha, Kenya's 800-meter world record holder, knows he must succeed at major events to be remembered like his Olympic medal-winning father.

The younger Rudisha enjoyed a stunning 2010, breaking the 800 mark twice in the space of a week on his way to winning the IAAF Athlete of the Year at the age of 21 — the youngest athlete to claim the honor.

Now 22, Rudisha said Thursday on a teleconference call that records are fine but he wants to win at the world championships in August and the 2012 London Olympics to "leave a legacy" like his father.

Daniel Rudisha won silver at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City with Kenya's 4x400 relay team — a performance that inspired his son to follow in his father's footsteps.

"Up to now, I haven't won any world championship titles," Rudisha said. "Now, it's time to focus on winning the world title in Daegu and then focus the following year for the Olympics. That is my target right now.

"The titles are very important to me because when you win titles you leave a legacy behind and people remember you. My father, back in 1968, he won the (silver medal at the) Olympics and they still remember him."

Rudisha produced blistering form to go under Wilson Kipketer's 13-year two-lap mark twice last August.

Running 1 minute, 41.09 seconds in Berlin and then 1:41.01 in Italy days later capped a "wonderful season," Rudisha said, but threw his preparations off track for the start of this year.

"Compared to last season, this time I started a little bit late because of the celebrations after last season." he said. "I think I was a little bit behind this season when I started training."

The celebrations in September included the slaughtering of bulls in a Maasai ceremony in Rudisha's home village in western Kenya.

"It was a big celebration, there was lots of meat," Rudisha said. "I was very happy and proud."

He will also compete at the opening Diamond League meet in Doha on May 6 and in Rome and Ostrava — where he will run the 1,000 meters for the first time at a top-class meet.

"The way I feel, I think I'm going to do well in Doha. I just want to run like the way I ran last year," he said. "After breaking the world record, everything changed.

"Life changes, everything changes. There is a lot of pressure but that is good. When you do something good, life changes in one way or another. I like that."

He has studied the styles of former 800 world record holders Sebastian Coe and Kipketer on the internet, but ruled out adding the 1,500 to his schedule.

Instead, winning the 800 at the worlds is the target this year. But having previously said he can go under 1:40, Rudisha hinted there could be an attempt at breaking his world record toward the end of the season.

"The world championship is the priority and that is what I am focusing on," he said. "After that, I will see if I can do maybe one or two fast races."