David Rudisha to run in Australian meets next month

Melbourne: Kenyan world record holder David Rudisha will compete in two track meets in Australia next month, Athletics Australia said Friday.

Rudisha, the current world 800m record holder and Olympic champion, will race at the Sydney Track Classic on March 14 and the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge on March 21.

The Kenyan star has competed in his favoured 800m event on the Australian Athletics Tour on three previous occasions, with a best time of 1:43.15.

It will be Rudisha`s first appearance in Sydney and Melbourne since early 2012.

"I`m very pleased to be coming back to run in Sydney and Melbourne in March," Rudisha said in a statement.

"I`ve had some very good races at these meets in the past and I`m expecting some stiff competition this year.

"My trips to Australia are about training. It`s a very good setup for me. The training environment is comfortable and there are plenty of great places to get some kilometres done."