Rampant Rushida romps to record!
The 23-year-old Kenyan stormed to victory in his debut Olympic final to become the first man inside one minute 41 seconds, clocking 1:40.91. Botswana 18-year-old Nijel Amos took silver, with another teenager, Kenya's Timothy Kitum, in bronze.
Reigning world champion Rudisha led from the off, running an opening lap of 49.28 seconds and storming further clear down the back straight to beat his own world record. With the rest of the field dragged along by his pace, only Abukaker Kaki in seventh failed to record a personal best.
"Wow! I'm very happy. This is the moment I have been waiting for for a very long time. To come here and to break the world record is something unbelievable.” Commented Rushida.
A season's best performance from Britain's men's 4x400m relay team ensured the quartet qualified for Friday's Olympic final. Martyn Rooney crossed the line alongside Deon Lendore, but Trinidad and Tobago were awarded first spot despite clocking the same time as the Brits. Cuba were third, while the Bahamas, United States and Russia were the top three finishers in the second heat. Belgium and Venezuela also progressed as the two fastest losers.
Jamaica failed to qualify when Jermaine Gonzales pulled up injured in the third leg of the second heat.
South Africa, including Oscar Pistorius, failed to finish but later qualified on appeal. Pistorius, the first double amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympic Games, was denied the chance to run in the semi-final as team-mate Ofentse Mogawane fell before he could pass on the baton. But officials decided Mogawane had been blocked by Kenya's Vincent Kiilu and put the South Africans through to the final.
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