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Kenya’s middle-distance legend David Rudisha has revealed how his father’s inspiration at the 1968 Olympic Games inspired and propelled him to success in his own career.

The Kilgoris-born star Rudisha is a two-time back-to-back Olympic champion, and behind that desire to succeed is inspiration from his parent.

While acknowledging his father’s impact, Rudisha also spoke about his life and how special it is to live in Kenya.

“Growing up in Kenya is a special thing because Kenya is one of the countries that really loves sports. But I was inspired by my father, who was an Olympic silver medallist at the 1968 Games in Mexico in the 4x400m relay. Growing up, that really motivated me,” Rudisha told World Athletics.

Initially, Rudisha started his career as a volleyball player but later changed his mind and became a dominant figure in the 800m. His major success came at the 2012 London Olympics, and he said his youth coach had prepared him for this for quite some time.

“London 2012 was my first Olympic Games. Back when I was training as a junior, my coach would emphasise to us that we’d be ready to compete at the Olympics in 2012, so that stuck in my mind, and for eight years I focused on the 2012 Olympics,” Rudisha added.

Post-retirement life

After retirement, Rudisha has continued to be involved with athletics, and he was recently appointed as an ambassador for this year’s World Indoor Championships. In this role, Rudisha hopes to bring inspiration to the younger generation of athletes.

“It was really special because I got to enjoy the championships,” he said. “Being part of the athletic family really feels special; you get to meet the other athletes that competed with you, and it keeps us close.

“We get to promote sport and inspire the younger generation. It feels good when young people come to you for advice,” the 2006 World Junior Championships winner stated.

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