EMMANUEL Korir had barely settled in as the new Olympic champion in the 800 meters when the old champ —one David Rudisha — felt the need to talk to his successor.
Shortly after Korir walked off the track at the Olympic Stadium after leading a Kenyan one-two finish in the 800 final, a cell phone rang in the pocket of a Kenya team official next to him. The official produced the phone, popped it on speaker and announced: “It’s Rudisha.”
Sure enough, the world-record holder and two-time Olympic champion’s voice rang out all the way from Kenya.
“Congratulations, man, congratulations,” Rudisha said, with everyone, including Korir, listening intently. “Ah, that was impressive. You ran a smart race, a smart race. How do you feel?”
Korir was lost for words, and with good reason. He’d just clinched Kenya’s fourth straight Olympic title in the men’s 800, and had succeeded the man
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