London: David Rudisha became the first athlete to set a world record on the track at London 2012 as he won 800m gold at the Olympic Stadium.

The 23-year-old Kenyan stormed his debut Olympic final to become the first man inside one minute 41 seconds, clocking 1:40.91. Botswana’s Nijel Amos took silver, with fellow teenager Timothy Kitum in third.

British runner Andrew Osagie was in eighth place but still clocked a personal best of 1:43.77.

Reigning world champion Rudisha led from the off, setting an opening lap of 49.28 seconds, and stormed further clear down the back straight.

With the rest of the field dragged along by his pace, only Abukaker Kaki in seventh failed to record a personal best.

Rudisha said: “Wow! I’m very happy. This is the moment I have been waiting for for a very long time. To come here and to break the world record is something unbelievable.

“I was well-prepared and I had no doubt about winning. Today the weather was beautiful and I decided just to go for it. Sebastian Coe is a very good friend of mine and earlier, in February, he took me round this stadium. That was good for me. I wanted to come here and make him proud.”

In 18-year-old Amos and Kitum, 17, the future of the event looks in good hands but whether anyone can get near the dominant Rudisha before the next Games in Rio looks unlikely.

Amos’s time of 1:41.73 was the 11th fastest 800m of all time, and made him the fourth-fastest man ever over the distance with only Rudisha, Wilson Kipketer and Coe running two laps of the track faster.

Tellingly, Rudisha has now managed six of the fastest eight 800m ever.

Rudisha has set the three fastest 800m times of all time and made them look easy.

His pace was consistent throughout, clocking 23 seconds for the first 200m, 25 for the second, 25 for the third, and 26.1 for the final quarter.

Immediately, he lifted his arms in victory as the time flashed just next to him and the 80,000-capacity crowds at the Olympic Stadium erupted in wild cheers, celebrating the first world record of the track and field programme. In the women’s 800, Kenyan compatriot and defending champion Pamela Jelimo of Kenya easily advanced into Saturday’s final.