The wind and rain held London 800m gold medalist David Rudisha to nearly five seconds slower than his world record pace, but there’s no keeping down the champ: he still won the New York Grand Prix by more than a second Saturday, clocking 1:45.14 to dominate the field.
“The time does not matter,” the Kenyan star said. “It was cold and there was a strong wind down the back straight. It was very tough. The main target for me this year is the world championships.”
The world championships shouldn’t be a problem for Rudisha, who’s won every major event since 2009. Saturday’s win was his second Diamond League victory of the month for Rudisha, only 24-years-old, following an impressive performance in Doha two weeks ago.
Rudisha plans to move up the 1000m later to give himself a new challenge and push the limits of his endurance. He’s also hopes to convince close friend Usain Bolt to go against him head-to-head in an 400m exhibition race to prove he’s the real “World’s Fastest Man.”
