Athletes set for record race in Paris

By Gilbert Wandera

World 800m champion and record holder David Rudisha will attempt to lower his record this Saturday when he takes part in the Paris Diamond League meet.

Pacesetter Sammy Tangui who will help Rudisha said this is their plan and with the weather permitting the world should expect a new record on Saturday.

“Paris is always a difficult place to run because of the weather but if it is conducive on that day, we have decided to lower the record even further,” he said.

Rudisha left for Paris Monday night where he will be running his last race before the Olympic games in London, which starts in the next three weeks.

Tangui said if they fail in Paris, then they will certainly go for a new record in Zurich in August.

“This was actually our initial plan because the race comes three weeks after the Olympics,” said Tangui.

Speaking last week after receiving the national flag from President Kibaki, Rudisha did confirm that he will be going for a new record in Zurich in August.

Record attempt

“This year I have been running very well and it is possible to lower my record even further which I will attempt during the Zurich meet,” he said.

Regarding the Olympics, Tangui said the 800m world champion is in great shape to win a gold medal but urged for caution insisting that competitions are a different ball game compared to one-day meets like the Diamond League.

“Competitions are complicated. Anything can happen but he looks good to win a gold medal,” he said.

He singled out Sudan’s Abubakar Kaki and Aman Mohammed from Ethiopia as the biggest threat to Rudisha in the Olympics.

Rudisha first set a new world record on August 22, 2010, in Berlin by clocking 1:41.09. One week later, he lowered the record even further after clocking 1:41.01 in Rieti, Italy.

On both occasions, he was helped by pacesetter Sammy Tangui, who took him through the bell in 48.20sec before he eventually emerged the winner.

Jelimo in brussels

Before setting the world record in Rieti, Rudisha had previously broke the African record at the same venue.

Meanwhile, Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo will run in Brussels this Saturday as part of her preparations to defend her title in London.

Jelimo left the country on Monday and is expected back home early next week to continue with her preparations for the Olympic games.

Jelimo has made a great comeback after recovering from a three-year injury. In February, she won the world indoor title and has been doing well in the Diamond League meets.

Elsewhere, Kenya’s Kip Keino, twice Olympic champion and multiple World record breaker, is the latest athletics legend to be named as one of the 24 inaugural Members of the IAAF Hall of Fame which has been created to mark the year of the IAAF Centenary.

The announcement of this honour comes upon the conclusion of the 18th African Championships in Porto Novo, Benin where the Kenyan team won nine titles and a total of 27 medals.