David Lekuta Rudisha (23), a Kenyan sprinter and world record holder in 800 metre category, Friday said that winning gold at London was the best moment of his life and he wanted to win these championships.
"It was the best moment of my life winning the gold medal at the Olympics. I had the world record and World Championship to my name........My ambition always was to be an Olympic and World Champion and also hold the world record, " he said.
Rudisha, who won a gold medal in London Olympic in 2012 by improving his world record, said it in a press conference at media centre of Jawahar Lal Nehru where he came for promoting the 5th edition of Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, scheduled to be held on 30th September 2012.
Rudisha is the event ambassador of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2012.
Rudisha, the son of former sprinter and Olympian Daniel Rudisha, who won the silver in the 4X400-metre relay in the 1968 Mexico Olympics, had also won gold in 2011 World Championship held in Daegu, South Korea by making a new world record in 800 meter by finishing it at 1:43.91 minutes.
In London Olympic on Aug 09, he broke this record and set a new record of 1:40.91 minutes.
David who holds the three fastest, six of the eight fastest, and half of the twenty fastest times ever for this event said about making a world record, "I had the world record and World Championship to my name. This was the only thing missing so I really wanted to win it."
Describing his feeling before beginning the historical game, the 23 year old Massai guy said, "Before the start of the final race, I was actually planning to go for a 1.41 (minutes), that too without a pace-setter. When I won, I didn't know that I had broken my own world record."
"I pushed really hard in the back straight during the race which I think helped me get the world record. I told my manager James during the warm-ups that if I finish the first 400 metres in 49 seconds, I can push in the last 400 to finish the race in 1:41 minutes," said the Kenyan.
Coming from a country which has given the world several World Champions in athletics and distance running, Rudisha was of the opinion that although the country has done well but there have been very few athletes from his own community.
"I'm from the Masai community, which hasn't produced enough international level athletes. Most of the athletes come from high altitude regions.
"But when I won it was a different thing altogether. In our community, 22-year-old men are considered as warriors. So when I got back they said that I killed a lion by breaking the world record," Rushida added.
Interestingly, there have been talks going on about a possible unofficial race between Olympic 100 and 200 metres Champion Usain Bolt and Rudisha.
"Many people are talking about a possible race against Bolt but let's see. He is a very fast sprinter. I think there is a fifty-fifty chance. He is quick in 100 and 200 metres and really is unmatchable. But over the distance I hold the edge," said Rudisha, who is Bolt's good friend.
"If I prepare myself for more speed who knows I might be capable of beating him. We congratulated each other at the Olympics and we keep meeting at a lot of places."
The world record holder said his next aim is to win the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and the next Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Rudisha is also very much interested in cricket and is following the ongoing World Twenty20 being held in Sri Lanka.
"I think India is a good team and they will do well. I support Kenya but as you know we are not a great cricket team."
--With IANS Inputs--
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