Rio Olympics Medal Table on August 15th As Kenya’s Rudisha Relishes 'Greatest Moment' After Retaining His 800m Gold

Kenya is placed 18th with 2 Gold & 3 Silver medals; South Africa is placed 31st with 1 Gold, 5 Silver & 1 Bronze

David Rudisha described retaining his Olympic 800 metres title in Rio as an even greater feat than the brilliant world record he ran to take gold at London 2012.

Kenya's David Rudisha defended his 800m title at the Rio Olympics

Press Association report continues:

The Kenyan hit the front with 300m to go and stayed strong to come home in one minute 42.15 seconds, the fastest time in the world since those two unforgettable laps in London.

"It is great to win such a big competition, my second gold. It is the greatest moment of my career," he said.

"London was one of the greatest races in the history of the 800m, but coming here and defending my title is also one of the toughest competitions.

"I was the only man in that final who was a finalist in London. Wow, it was tough, but I'm happy to have come through."

Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi took silver in 1min 42.61, with American Clayton Murphy getting bronze.

Rudisha's 1:40.91 world record from four years ago was achieved with an awesome display of front-running, hailed by Lord Coe as his highlight of the whole Games.

Injuries have prevented the 27-year-old from reaching that level since, but the two-time world champion was still in total control.

He said ahead of the race he felt he was getting back to his best after knee problems - and it showed.

"Going through disappointment with injuries and trying to come back, it was not easy losing a lot of races," he said. "To win here means a lot to me."

The race unfolded in bizarre fashion, with his compatriot Alfred Kipketer setting a crazy early pace, going through 400m in 49.23 seconds. Rudisha sped past him down the back straight and from that moment there was only one winner.

"I had planned to run from the front, but Kipketer after the gun ran the first 200m like a bullet," he added. "The time was too fast, so I settled in behind. I pushed in the last 300m."

Shaunae Miller stunned Allyson Felix to win the 400m and deny the American a fifth Olympic gold thanks to an audacious dive across the finish line.

The 22-year-old Bahamian went out hard from lane seven and led coming into the home straight, but Felix looked set to reel her in. As the world champion tied up, though, Miller launched herself over the line to take victory in a new personal best of 49.44s.

"It was just a reaction," she said. "My mind just went blank. All I was thinking about was the gold medal and the next thing I was on the ground.

"I've never done it before. I have cuts and bruises, a few burns."

Felix, 30, had to settle for silver in 49.51, with Jamaica's Shericka Jackson taking bronze.

Felix had hoped to be bidding for a 200m and 400m double in Rio, but she failed to qualify for the United States team over the shorter distance after struggling with an ankle injury earlier in the season.

And her bid for a first Olympic 400m crown, after gold in the 200m, 4x100m and twice in the 4x400m also fell short.

Silver was her seventh Olympic medal, taking her past Jackie Joyner-Kersee as the most decorated female American track and field athlete in Olympic history.

That, though, was of little consolation in the immediate aftermath .

"It hurts right now," she said.

It was depressing to see another pitiful attendance for two athletics greats like Rudisha and Felix, though, with the 56,000 capacity arena less than a quarter full.

But the fans inside still created plenty of noise for home favourite Thiago Braz Da Silva, screaming wildly as he cleared 6.03m, an Olympic record, at the second attempt to dethrone France's Renaud Lavillenie as Olympic pole vault champion.

The 22-year-old's clearance left Lavillenie needing to clear 6.08m to take victory, and he could not manage it.

"The crowd were cheering me too much. I had to fix my mind on my technique, forget the people," said Da Silva.

Lavillenie launched an extraordinary attack on the crowd for jeering him as he was about to take his final attempt, comparing it to the reaction which Jesse Owens received at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.

"You see it in football. It is the first time I have seen it in track and field," said Lavillenie, who gave a thumbs-down sign to stands.

"For the Olympics it is not a good image. I did nothing to the Brazilians. In 1936 the crowd was against Jesse Owens. We've not seen this since.

"Track and field has no place for that."