The previous best of 1:41.11, set by Denmark's Kenyan-born Wilson Kipketer's had stood for 13 years.

The long-legged 21-year-old gave notice of his intentions earlier this season when he ran Kipketer's mark close at a meet in the Belgian city of Heusden-Zolder in July with a time of 1:41.51 - the closest anyone had got to Kipketer's record.

And he returned to the scene of his disappointing World Championships showing - he old made the semi-finals last year -  the German capital's Olympic Stadium, to beat Kipketer's 1997 time.

And his prediction in the immediate aftermath of that feat that he would go even faster proved correct as he again set a fresh marker in central Italy.

Rudisha was taken through the bell by compatriot pace-setter Sammy Tangui in 48.20sec before taking off on his own to win by almost two seconds from Boaz Kiplagat Lalang, also from Kenya.

American Nick Symmonds was third in 1:43.76, while Briton Michael Rimmer took fourth in a personal best 1:43.89.

At the same meeting, Jamaican Nesta Carter equalled Tyson Gay's world leading time of 9.78 over 100m.

American Ryan Bailey was second with 9.88 and Jamaican Mario Forsythe third in 9.95.

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