By Omulo Okoth in London
Watching David Rudisha field questions before the global media reveals an athlete who has come of age.
They were all sorts of questions by reporters from as far wide as The Sydney Herald, Washington Times, the London tabloids, wire agencies. He took them in their own stride and answered as comprehensively and eloquently as he possible could.
At the end of the 35 news conference, which had to be stopped due to time for another planned press conference by Usain Bolt, reporters were asking for more and Rudisha did not feel like stopping.
He was a father figure to Timothy Kitum, the world junior silver medalist, who picked bronze here behind Botswana’s Nigel Amos.
As the two panicked while answering questions, Rudisha was just smiling as he tackled one issue and another.
Rudisha, the first person to run a world record at the London Olympics and the first Kenyan to break a world record at Olympic Games said he can improve on the 1:40.91, which he did on Thursday inside a roaring Olympic Park Stadium here.
“If I get perfect conditions and I am in good health and with a good pace maker, I can do it again,” said Rudisha to roaring laughter from the crowded Media conference inside the Stadium’s Conference room.
Asked if it was a disappointment that he was knocked out of Beijing Olympics due to injury, he said it was probably a blessing in disguise.
“You know, I was young and immature then. Had I won the gold medal, which was possible, I may not have known how to deal with that. It may have given me problems.
“But, you see, the injury gave me time to mature and prepare well for the world record which I ran in 2010 and world title last year (in Daegu) and now an Olympic title and record,” said Rudisha as reporters nodded in agreement.
Howabout your family back home? “As you know, my father (Daniel Rudisha) won silver medal in 1968 Mexico Olympics. He also had wanted to break a 400m world record, but he could not do it.
