Alex Rowe prepares to face Olympic champion David Rudisha at the Sydney Track Classic. Picture: Nathan Dyer Source: Nathan Dyer / News Corp Australia
YOU could forgive Alex Rowe for being daunted about lining up alongside legendary 800m runner David Rudisha.
Rudisha is not only the Olympic champion but the fastest man to ever complete two laps of an athletics track.
The Kenyan great smashed his own 800m world record in London in a eye-popping 1:40.91, a time which placed Rudisha alongside Usain Bolt in an elite class of their own in world athletics.
On Saturday night, Rowe will race Rudisha in the 800m at the Sydney Track Classic at Olympic Park, and far from being daunted, Australia's top middle-distance runner is buzzing with optimism.
David Rudisha winning gold in the 800m at the London Olympics. Source: News Limited
"This will be the fifth time that I've raced him, and I saw a stat that three of the four times we raced over 800m over I have run a personal best," Rowe said.
"Obviously having David in the race will ensure it's a fast pace and give us every opportunity to go fast. As an athlete, you just want to better your personal bests."
Here's where it gets "exciting" for Rowe. His personal best over the 800m is 1:44.4, set in the lead-up to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Rowe's time equalled the oldest Australian record in the books, set by Ralph Doubell in Mexico in 1968, and the run also attracted headlines for another reason as well: Rowe was fined $800 by Athletics Australia for leaving a team camp to attend the meet in Monaco (the fine has since been rescinded).
Rowe is confident of running a PB against David Rudisha. Picture: Chris Eastman Source: News Corp Australia
"Everything was just flowing amazingly. The confidence was there, and it was backed by myself being in incredible physical shape," Rowe said.
"When you have those two combined together, the conditioning and the confidence, these breakthroughs can happen.
"I am feeling right now that I am in that position again, which is fantastic."
The 22-year-old Victorian didn't get the chance to run against Rudisha in Glasgow after injuring his hamstring in training, and admits the disappointment spiked when Rudisha was beaten by Nijel Amos' in a slow winning time of 1:45.1.
Amos and Lekuta competing in London. Source: AFP
"I just thought: "Lucky it's the Commonwealth Games and not the Olympics"," Rowe said.
The medical student says the shared Australian 800m record is in his sights for Saturday night at Homebush, having run a 1.45:3 in his first race of the season last month and a personal best in the 400m in training last week.
Rudisha said recently he was hoping to help Rowe break the record in Sydney, but he might want to keep an eye on his Aussie rival. Rowe is keen for another first as well: beating Rudisha.
"I guess the aura will still always be there, given he is the Olympic champion and world record holder, but we are coming into two different phases of our season," Rowe said.
"He is having his first race, whereas I am having my third race. I guess due to that fact it is does instil a little bit of belief that I should be able to go with him, and the possibility of defeating him is something that would be incredibly tough, but it is definitely in mind."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Aussie gun in the race of his life
Dengan url
http://sportlanhealty.blogspot.com/2015/03/aussie-gun-in-race-of-his-life.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Aussie gun in the race of his life
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Aussie gun in the race of his life
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar