With those hurdles behind him,the Maasai warrior has his eyes set firmly back on the biggest prize,gold in Rio De Janeiroin 2016. His first stop,the Sydney track classic for a one on one against joint Australian 800m record holder Alex Rowe on Saturday night.
Rudisha's journey back to the summit of athletics may be tough but it is not like the 26-year-old hasn't faced adversity before. His Maasai heritage already puts him at a disadvantage over the more fancied Kalenjin tribe. The Kenyan ethnic group has produced a significant portion of the world's middle to long distance medallists over the past 30 years."I trained mostly by myself,"Rudisha said.
There were no spikes or running tracks for Rudisha to hone his endurance on,just flat paddocks and crumbling stadiums to power through.
Rudisha's commitment got him to the so-called home of Africa's golden runners,a training camp run by Irish missionary Colm O'Connell."This was the most important experience,"he said.
Day after day the teenager would train under the tutelage of the man who had produced Kenyan running greats such as Wilson Kipketer – pushing himself to the heights of those who had run through Brother Colm's program before."That transition to senior level is quite challenging,"said Rudisha from the sidelines of the Australian junior athletics championship in Sydney.
When Rudisha took out the world junior competition in 2006,it signalled his arrival on the big stage. World records,gold medals and world championships would follow within six years,but all that pales in comparison to one of his other achievements,bragging rights over his father,Daniel Rudisha.