Low-key return for Olympic champion Rudisha

Kenya's world and Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha on Friday made a low-key return to the track when he ran in the 400m heats at the Nairobi athletics meeting. Rudisha led from the gun to the tape and held a commanding pace for the entire race, clocking 45.5sec. It was his first race since his epic performance at the London Olympics where set a new world record in winning the 800m gold. "Sometimes you need to be quiet and concentrate with the training which is the most important thing in my career. That's where I concentrate all my energy," said Rudisha. "I like to take time to be with my coach and my family because when the season starts we are very busy and I don't have the time for them." Rudisha opted to skip his traditional start to the season in Australia for the first time in four years in March, to prepare himself for the start of the Diamond League which gets underway in Doha on May 10. He is also scheduled in compete in two back-to-back races in New York and at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon later this month in a lead-up to the world championships in Moscow. Another athlete on the comeback trail was Pamela Jelimo, the Beijing Olympic 800m champion, who was beaten into second place in the heats of the 400m by the African bronze medallist, Maureen Chelagat. "What was more important was to qualify for the finals on Saturday," said Jelimo, who finished outside the medals at the London Olympics. "Last year I was in great shape for sure, but maybe it was a small error on my part for the way I performed in London. My main focus is on the world championships, and this time I will have to work on my race tactics," Jelimo added. From: AFP