Two-time Olympic gold medallist David Rudisha has escaped unharmed after a plane he was travelling in crashed in south-east Kenya on Saturday.
The 33-year-old and five others were travelling in a light aircraft, which crashed in Kajiado county in his homeland, but none of the occupants sustained life-threatening injuries.
Stephen Ole Marai, who placed sixth in the 800m at the 1987 World Championships, was taken to hospital after injuring his ribs, although he affirmed that would be fine despite some breathing difficulties.
Speaking to the Daily Nation, Rudisha described how one of the plane's engines went "quiet" several minutes after takeoff and hailed the "incredible" job of the pilot for avoiding a worse outcome.
Two-time Olympic 800m Champion David Rudisha and five others escaped with injuries in a plane crash on Saturday at Imbirikani in Kajiado County after attending the Annual Masai Olympics event at Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary!
— @RadullLive (@radulllive) December 11, 2022
We wish them a quick recovery.#RadullLive pic.twitter.com/k2Rb50C5Vq
"All was well close to seven or eight minutes into the flight when the engine of the plane suddenly went quiet," Rudisha said. "He saw some clear space where he tried to land the plane but one of its wings hit a tree as the plane started to spin before landing on the rocky field.
"We thank God we all came out alive with some soft tissue injuries that were treated before all were discharged save for one.
"It was a scary episode where you hold your heart in your hand as you pray to God. The pilot did an incredible job to keep the plane afloat and stable for long."
Rudisha, who also survived a car crash in 2019, won the gold medal in the 800m at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and he set the current world record of 1:40.91 at the London Games.
The Kenyan was also crowned world 800m champion in 2011 and 2015 and won Commonwealth Games silver in the same event at the 2014 Glasgow edition.
