Lutkenhaus gets 'incredible' message from Rudisha
Cooper Lutkenhaus reflects on the statement he made during this year's men's 800m at Diamond League Oslo, shares why he's studied David Rudisha and receives a message of encouragement from the Kenyan world-record holder.
Video Transcript
Yeah.
Keep going.
11, 12.
Good.
There you go No extra motion.
I mean, just fluid.
Coming straight down the track, nothing's going side to side.
Everything is straight forward, relaxed.
Great, great, good That's why he's won 1:42.08.
Holy cow.
One last push.
Oh, it's so close on the line.
Pick that one out.
Cooper Mountainhouse has got it again.
1:42.08.
To run there, to run that fast, can you kind of reflect back on just how you felt?
Yeah, in the back of my mind, I, I just wanna make a statement where I'm gonna be there, no matter what type of race it is or, you know, who's in the race.
Even though that I'm 17, I feel like I can kinda have that respect even kinda being the young guy.
But anybody that just goes by the Olympic champ, there's gotta be some respect in that.
Right.
Over the years, in terms of the 800, who have you been studying?
Honestly, everybody, but David Rudisha obviously, as the world record holder, so it's pretty easy to study somebody like that.
Rudisha crosses the line in world record time.
I actually called him the morning of Prefontaine, and I had a chat with him about you.
I asked him if there was anything he wanted me to tell you, and this is the quote that he gave me, and I want you to read it out loud.
"Tell him that I'm very proud of him and I'm following his progress.
We're looking forward to seeing what he's going to do.
We wish him well, and yeah, we love him.
David Rudisha."
It, it's incredible, isn't it?
I, I mean, I've looked up to David for so long now.
Ever since middle school when I started running track and field, I knew the name David Rudisha.
So how many 17-year-olds can say the world record holder is, you know, watching you and giving you high praise?
It's awesome.
