The Kenyan’s finely-honed build-up to the London Video games paid off with a late, world record-breaking surge that gave him victory by nearly a second in 1:40.91
London was very particular. It was my Olympic debut. In 2008, I used to be making ready for Beijing, however I wasn’t that fortunate. I injured myself racing in Ostrava so I needed to simply concentrate on my highschool exams that yr and maintain going to my courses.
Against this, 2012 was very a lot inside my attain, and I began preparation from a good distance out. Monitoring my performances from 2009-2011, it was all simply the build-up for 2012. By that point, I had extra expertise. I had already mastered my races, I knew precisely what to do, and easy methods to execute my competitions.
I began 2012 very properly. I went to Australia and did a number of races after which got here again to Kenya to arrange for the primary season. I didn’t achieve this many races that yr as a result of I didn’t need to tire out earlier than the championships. However the ones I did had been prime quality.
I ran 1:41 twice – as soon as in Paris and as soon as in New York. We had been very assured that we had been on the correct path as a result of we had been shifting ahead. We had been simply praying that we didn’t get any points with harm and so forth, plus I used to be additionally praying for good climate and ideal circumstances for that evening of the ultimate. I’m glad that our prayers had been answered.
Going into an Olympics, there may be lots of strain. It’s monumental. You’re representing your nation, you could have so many followers round internationally and so many individuals watch the Olympics. However I knew properly that I used to be robust – and I used to be in my finest type of my life.
I wanted simply to imagine in myself, and have that confidence going on the market. I already had a plan on what I used to be going to do in that remaining, then I used to be simply attempting my finest to be sure that I caught to my plan.
David Rudisha (Getty)
As a result of I used to be a entrance runner, it was a lot simpler for me to execute the splits. My plan was to shut the primary 400m in 49 seconds, and do one thing like 1:14 for 600m, which I used to be capable of obtain as a result of I can actually management my tempo in a calculated approach.
Typically it’s not straightforward as a result of throughout the race somebody can interrupt you or determine to go loopy within the first 200m or the primary 400m. It might probably disrupt your plan, however I used to be crossing my fingers that all the pieces went properly.
The cool factor was that the opposite guys knew that I used to be a entrance runner, and so they knew that usually I didn’t take it straightforward. I wasn’t the sort of one who can go ahead and gradual the tempo at a given time. They knew I used to be going to go quick.
I wasn’t additionally anticipating the world file. I knew that I used to be going for a quick race however, within the 800m, it’s arduous to interrupt a world file and not using a pacesetter. In a lot of the races, we had the assistance of the rabbit. What actually gave me lots of confidence was working 1:42.0 within the Kenyan trials. I mentioned: “Wow, I used to be that near 1:41 and not using a pacemaker.” Then I mentioned: “Properly, why can’t I simply strive that within the Olympics?”
The ultimate was quick. The primary lap took 49 seconds and 1:14 for 600m, as I’d laid out. However after I seemed on the large display screen, simply after I was approaching the 600m mark, I noticed the fellows had been proper behind me. I requested myself: “Am I not going that quick?” I felt like I used to be pushing however beforehand, throughout a race of 1:41, usually you’d see a little bit of a niche.
I held myself just a little bit after 600m, simply to be sure that I didn’t actually tire within the final 100m. Once I noticed the others proper behind me, in my thoughts, I felt: “Am I going to die?” I’d given it my finest. I’d been attempting to push quick, so let me maintain one thing within the tank at the very least for the final 150m. I didn’t actually transfer with full smoothness till I used to be popping out of the again straight.
On the end, after I noticed the massive clock with the time and outcomes, that’s after I realised that these guys had been additionally very quick … no marvel they had been simply behind me!
Andrew Osagie and David Rudisha (Getty)
That evening was actually nice. It was a particular achievement. I contacted my coach, Brother Colm, who was watching from Kenya. He was actually pleased as a result of to interrupt a world file in an Olympic remaining is a good achievement and I used to be actually pleased to win a gold medal. That was my final level to go to.
Making ready to go to the Olympics was very particular, as a result of my father was a silver medallist in 1968 and generally, after I was younger, I used to tease him with: “You gained silver and also you’ll by no means return to the observe once more however I’ve an opportunity to be higher than you.”
READ MORE: Andrew Osagie on the best 800m in historical past
We used to snort as a result of he knew being second gave me an opportunity to win towards him. It was a joke that got here to move and it’s very nice generally while you see an adolescent telling you one thing like that, however then ensuring that they keep the course and work arduous. He’s speaking the discuss and strolling the stroll.
Once I went again, I advised my father: “Now we’re two Olympians.” I might see his emotion. I used to be very proud and pleased about my achievement as properly.
As advised to Mark Woods
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