Middle distance legend David Rudisha has been named as the World Athletics ambassador for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, which will be held from 1-3 March.
The Kenyan great is a double Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion over 800m. He is familiar with the city of Glasgow as he competed there in 2014 for the Commonwealth Games, where he earned silver.
“I am looking forward to going back to Glasgow for this major competition in our calendar. I am really excited,” he said.
“Sport is what has made me who I am today and anything to do with sport, it makes me feel very happy. I am looking forward to meeting the fans and promoting the sport.”
Rudisha has other fond memories of competing on UK soil; the most iconic performance of his career – his world record-breaking performance of 1:40.91 – came when winning Olympic gold in London in 2012.
Now aged 35, Rudisha is delighted to take up an ambassador role for the first global championships of 2024.
“I really feel honoured,” said Rudisha, who competed at six global championships during his career, winning gold at five of them. “As an athlete, anything I can do to inspire younger athletes to win medals on the world stage really makes me feel special.
“The 2014 Commonwealth Games was very special, I have beautiful memories of my experience in Glasgow. The people were very kind and supportive. I got silver in that race, but it was clear that the crowd supported and cheered for every athlete, regardless of the position they finished.”
As a double Olympic champion in the No.1 Olympic sport, Rudisha knows just how important it is for athletes to get off to a strong start this year ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.
“The Olympics is at the helm of any sport,” he said. “To participate at the Olympics means a lot. It’s not always easy, so I wish athletes the best as they work hard for this season and try to make their name and write their history in this sport.”
While he is looking forward to witnessing all the action in Glasgow, understandably Rudisha’s eye will be drawn to one event in particular.
“The 800m of course is my favourite,” he said. “I’m also looking forward to seeing the 400m, with the times they are posting already.
“Femke Bol, running 49 seconds in the early season indoors is really amazing. We’re looking forward to watching these athletes doing their best on the world indoor stage.”
Taking place from 1-3 March, the World Indoor Championships will feature more than 700 athletes from about 130 nations as they compete for medals across 26 disciplines.
Frederick Marfo is a sportswriter and social worker well known for his advocacy for equal chances and rights for all athletes, especially those with disabilities.
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