The Hitch said:
David Lekuta Rudisha broke the world record of nelson kipter (also kenyan, but running for denmark) which stood since 97, by 0.02 seconds.
I will echo what I wrote on a native forum.
I am delighted with the new WR, even if it's barely faster.
Look at the guy Rudisha. Tall for a Kenyan. Strong like a sprinter. Young, very dedicated. Super good support team. And, don't forget, 2010 anti doping tests to deal with. A bit different from the late 90's, and I say this even though I am really charmed by Wilson Kipketer's personality from a recent interview I saw.
Rudisha is like Bolt. He looks like a runner built for his distance, just add 10-15cm to the typical body height you'd expect. A twice as tall runner, all else being the same (making him 8x heavier) WILL beat the man-sized runner. At just 5% taller, the difference is less obvious, seems like a wash. But IMO it shouldn't. In running, height is an advantage, and Rudisha seems to have been born, raised, and now nurtured for these kinds of runs. I hope we see more of him, and I hope more tall runners will be inspired.
I'm 1m94, currently 91kg. A really windy evening at the running track tonight. I seemed to be at an advantage both with tail- and headwind, compared to equal running mates. We train like 800-3000m racers. I am just too fat too race for now.
In cycling, being tall is only worth it if your legs are relatively short. Mine are long, so I'm slow in a straigth line.
Kenya is showing the rest of the world where it's at with dedication.
The EPO era, I cannot deny. My country still has some national records from that era, times wich are rrely matched even by African runners today, which makes me feel uncomfortable.