| The Glory Trail ( The Guardian ) "..It was particularly sweet for the older generation of Ethiopians. The marathon had passed through the Piazza Venezia. It was here, from the balcony of the Palazzo Venezia, that Mussolini had announced the beginning of his Ethiopian campaign 25 years before. Bikila returned home a conquering hero. " More Abebe Bikila An athlete par excellence |
Barefoot: Abebe Bikila
In fact, if you include Morocco's Khalid Khannouchi - who set his
fastest marathon time after becoming an American citizen - African
athletes have recorded the best 10 times over the 26-and-a-bit-mile
event.
And the man who laid the foundation for this success? Abebe Bikila.
Ethiopian Bikila only went to the 1960 Rome Olympics as a late
replacement for Wami Biratu, who had broken his ankle.
But he emerged as the first African Olympic champion when he won
the marathon in a new Olympic record time of 2 hours 15 minutes 16
seconds, eight minutes quicker than Flying Finn Emil Zatopek's mark.
Bikila's achievement was even more sensational when you consider he
ran barefoot through the streets of the Italian capital because he could
not find any shoes to fit.
Four years later, he became the only athlete to win back-to-back
marathon titles when, this time wearing shoes, he knocked three
minutes off his Olympic record to destroy the field assembled in Tokyo.
Britain's Basil Heatley finished second, over four minutes adrift.
According to Bikila's great friend and rival Mamo Wolde, he would
have won a third gold in Mexico but a knee injury forced him to
withdraw early in the race.
Bikila's life was cut tragically short in 1973, at the age of 41, when
he died as the result of complications related to a car accident four
years previously, that had left him paraplegic.
Such was his popularity that a national day of mourning was called,
65,000 people attended his funeral and an athletics stadium in Ethiopian
capital Addis Adaba was named in his honour.
Is he the greatest African distance runner in history?
Peter Scrivener is a BBC Sport Journalist. Our FAQs should answer
any questions you have. Source
- by Peter Scrivener
9 Jun 2008, ( BBC Sport )
In men's long-distance running, African athletes
are the dominant force.
Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie holds the world
marathon record and he was virtually untouchable
through the 1990s in the 10,000m.
In fact, if you include Morocco's Khalid Khannouchi - who set his
fastest marathon time after becoming an American citizen - African
athletes have recorded the best 10 times over the 26-and-a-bit-mile
event.
And the man who laid the foundation for this success? Abebe Bikila.
Ethiopian Bikila only went to the 1960 Rome Olympics as a late
replacement for Wami Biratu, who had broken his ankle.
But he emerged as the first African Olympic champion when he won
the marathon in a new Olympic record time of 2 hours 15 minutes 16
seconds, eight minutes quicker than Flying Finn Emil Zatopek's mark.
Bikila's achievement was even more sensational when you consider he
ran barefoot through the streets of the Italian capital because he could
not find any shoes to fit.
Four years later, he became the only athlete to win back-to-back
marathon titles when, this time wearing shoes, he knocked three
minutes off his Olympic record to destroy the field assembled in Tokyo.
Britain's Basil Heatley finished second, over four minutes adrift.
According to Bikila's great friend and rival Mamo Wolde, he would
have won a third gold in Mexico but a knee injury forced him to
withdraw early in the race.
Bikila's life was cut tragically short in 1973, at the age of 41, when
he died as the result of complications related to a car accident four
years previously, that had left him paraplegic.
Such was his popularity that a national day of mourning was called,
65,000 people attended his funeral and an athletics stadium in Ethiopian
capital Addis Adaba was named in his honour.
Is he the greatest African distance runner in history?
Peter Scrivener is a BBC Sport Journalist. Our FAQs should answer
any questions you have. Source
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| ABEBE BIKILA "..After the race, when Bikila was asked why he had run barefoot, he replied, “I wanted the world to know that my country, Ethiopia, has always won with determination and heroism." Wikipedia Visit The official website of Abebe Bikila |
