Rudisha passed the 400-m mark in 49.06, close behind his pacemaker, Matthew Scherer, and when Scherer peeled off at 500 metres Rudisha was so far in front of the field that the race, for all functional purposes, was over. The World champion then explained, “I felt great and decided to push a little bit.”
“A little bit” of pushing turned into a 52.68 second lap and a 1:41.74 finishing time, a mark only Rudisha and former World record holders Wilson Kipketer and Sebastian Coe have ever bettered. Defending champion Alfred Kirwa Yego finished second in 1:44.49, followed closely by Andrew Osagie (1:44.61).
