Kenya’s David Rudisha will become the first men’s 800-meter world record-holder to race in America since 1984 when he takes part in the Diamond League meet at New York in June, organizers said Wednesday. Not since Britain’s Sebastian Coe won two medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics has a reigning 800m world record-holder competed on US soil. Coe, who held the mark from 1979 to 1997, is the chief of the organizing committee for the London Olympics, where reigning world champion Rudisha will be a heavy favorite in the 800m.
“I have run in many great cities and countries and to finally come to New York is exciting for me,” Rudisha said. Rudisha, whose only loss since 2009 came last season at Milan, broke the 13-year-old 800m world record of Wilson Kipketer in 2010 with a run of 1:41.09 and lowered the mark to 1:41.01 a week later. He has recorded four of the six fastest times in the event’s history. The meet will also feature world 100m champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica, three-time Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner and a 100m women’s showdown between reigning Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica and reigning world champion Carmelita Jeter of the United States.
