Rudisha withdraws from Commonwealths

New world 800 metres record holder David Rudisha has withdrawn from Kenya’s team for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi stating he is too tired.

The 21-year-old recently broke the record twice in the space of a week.

First, in Berlin, he lowered Wilson Kipketer’s 13-year-old mark by 0.02 seconds to one minute 41.09 seconds before further reducing it to one minute 41.01 seconds in Rieti, Italy.

Rudisha will conclude his season when representing Africa at the IAAF Continental Cup in Split before turning his attention to 2011 and the World Championships and the Olympics in the following year.

Rudisha is quoted on Inside The Games, as saying: “I started my season early and was in shape, running 1:43 by February, and I maintained it until September.

“I believe I need time to rest and focus on next year.

“I have come to realise that, in this profession, you do not need to wait for your body to tell you when to stop but rather have the instinct to stop when it is required. I need to go away after Split, maybe for two months.

“Next year has the World Championship (in Daegu, South Korea) and then we have the Olympics. I want to be in top form for both events.”

Rudisha’s withdrawal follows Briton Mo Farah’s decision not to travel to New Delhi to give his body a rest following his double gold medal-winning exploits at the European Championships in Barcelona.