UNITED KINGDOM: LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS: Rudisha win is the seminal moment of games, says Lord Coe

Record ID: 863973

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS: Rudisha win is the seminal moment of games, says Lord Coe
  • Date: 10th August 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (AUGUST 10, 2012) (REUTERS) IOC/LOCOG NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 25th August 2012 13:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
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  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEFI7PIN6FEY45TDR15RDY3EFX
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  • Story Text: Former 800m world record holder and Games chief Sebastian Coe has hailed David Rudisha's astonishing efforts in the race on Thursday (August 9) as the best moment of the London Olympics so far.
    Kenya's Rudisha beat his own world record, clocking 1'40.91 seconds for the two lap event, and became the first man to finish inside the magical 1.41 mark.
    For years, many experts believed no man could run inside 1.41, but Rudisha proved them wrong at the Olympic stadium with a blistering run.
    Coe held the world record for 16 years with a time of 1'41.73. It was lowered by Wilson Kipketer, but 23-year-old Rudisha has now beaten the Dane's 1.41'11 on three different occasions.
    The pace he set on Thursday was so fast that Britain's Andrew Osagie, who finished last, would have won gold in the last three Olympic finals with his time of 1'43.77.

    "I'm very proud that David ran the way he did, I thought it was an extraordinary piece of racing," Coe told reporters at a news conference on Friday (August 10).

    "This was in an Olympic final. To basically express such physical and mental confidence that you take an 800m out in an Olympic final from gun to tape...

    "I think when we look across every sporting event in these games that will be the stand out performance of these Olympic games."
    Meanwhile Coe said that, in his opinion, Usain Bolt had confirmed his status as a "legend" of track and field by successfully defending his 100m and 200m titles at London 2012.

    "Usain Bolt is clearly a legend," he said. "Nobody else has ever won back to back the 100 and the 200. Its a fantastic achievement."
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