By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom
(c) 2015 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission

NEW YORK (12-June) -- David Rudisha knows that with time, hard work, and perseverance, most scenarios get better. The 26-year-old hopes that Saturday's adidas Grand Prix IAAF Diamond League meeting here will be another step forward towards his goal of returning to the dominant form that established him as king of the 800 meters in 2012. Since setting the world record of 1:40.91 at the 2012 London Olympics, Rudisha has faced a series of ups and downs, dealing with cumbersome injuries and setbacks.

"Getting injured in 2013, 2014 struggling coming back, in some sense there is pressure that has affected me a little bit," Rudisha told members of the media here today, 26 hours before he toes the line at Icahn Stadium. "I can say in terms of preparation and form, I can say up to now I have never gone back to that level of training I was doing at top."

While he may not be at his 2012 form, Rudisha confidently believes he is in a better place now than at any time in the last 24 months. In 2013, Rudisha battled nagging injuries and knee troubles, forcing him to only race three times.

In 2014 the knee pain still lingered, and he could never quite reach the level he was accustomed to. Rudisha pushed through the pain with a goal of winning the Commonwealth Games title in the discipline.

Rudisha's 2014 season best was 1:42.98, his only sub-1:43 clocking of the year. Where in 2012 Rudisha only ran over 1:43.0 twice in non-championship races, the 2014 campaign saw him run over the mark a staggering four times -- seven times if you include his Commonwealth Games races. At the Commonwealth Games, he'd walk away with a silver medal behind Botswana's Nijel Amos.

As Rudisha struggled, Amos and Ethiopia's Mohammed Aman were improving drastically on the world stage. All of a sudden Rudisha was no longer the unbeatable force in the discipline.

Quite frank in his responses to questions today, Rudisha admitted that the last two years were tough, that his confidence took somewhat of a beating. Yet he never lost hope or gave up in his quest to resume his spot at the front of the field.

"For this year it's a huge difference because I'm feeling so more strong and am training almost 95 to 90 percent which gives me a lot of confidence. If I get my training well and get my training perfectly, I am going to be back in that form," he said.

As the world record holder, reigning Olympic gold medalist, and 2011 world champion, it is inevitable that Rudisha faces the strain of expectations whenever he takes the starting line. He understands that to be the best, sometimes setbacks happen. That's how he looks at the last two years.

And that's also how he looks at a slight hiccup earlier this season, when he pulled up lame in the 600 meters at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava on May 26. Rudisha quickly dismissed the incident and said he has recovered very well in the two and a half weeks since then.

"Of course it is not easy. Sometimes you do have a lot of pressure where people want you to repeat and do something like that [again]," he said, referring to both his world record performance in London and his string of dominant years. "But you know, we are human beings and sometimes it's like climbing up stairs --you get to the top and it's difficult to maintain that for four years, five years, because there are others and sometimes you have to come down. But you never know whether you are at the top of your form. You never know if your body is going to respond better and better."

He continued: "All we try to do is the best we can in training and the rest is just fun. That is what we are doing, the best training we can because that is very important. Running and competing, and what you display out there reflects what you have done in your training."

Rudisha spoke of Icahn Stadium's blue oval as a sort of home away from home, a facility that he feels very comfortable racing at. He has raced here in each of the last three years, claiming wins in 1:44.63 (2014), 1:45.14 (2013), and a sizzling 1:41.74 (2012), the latter a mark that stands as the the fastest time ever recorded on American soil. Familiar with the upbeat atmosphere of the city, Rudisha expects another exciting contest on Saturday.

"I always prepare to improve every time. This year I am trying to improve upon last year, when I was pushing and coming back," he said. "This year I want to win my races as much as possible to get the confidence back. After a few races, at the end of the season, if I can go for one race to see where I can push and get a fast time I will."

Challenging him for the adidas Grand Prix 800m title will be Americans Duane Solomon, Matthew Centrowitz, Leo Manzano, Robby Andrews, Andrew Wheating, and Michael Rutt, as well as Ireland's Mark English and France's Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (Ryan Martin is believed to be the pace setter). While the other competitors are distinguished --including Manzano's 1500m Olympic silver medal and Solomon's 1:42.82 personal best-- they don't have the same two-lap credentials that Rudisha possesses.

Nor do they have the same fire that Rudisha carries in his heart: a burning desire to return to the top of the event, to be the king of two laps and reclaim his spot atop the world's best. Tomorrow he hopes to run a time in the 1:43-low range, and seeks to better Aman's current world leading mark of 1:43.56.

"It has been tough, having serious injuries and knee problems. Coming back has been tough for me. You need to let it run its course and you have to understand that this is what happens to sports people and stay positive because you can still make it," said Rudisha, smiling with a sly grin.

"It's great to be in New York again," he said. "I'm feeling good and I am ready... I am happy because I've never missed this meet."