Thursday, February 22, 2018

Abebe Bikila

Abebe Bikila crossing the finish line, barefoot with hands raised, an Italian official in the background with a crowd of spectators behind a fence

Abebe Bikila, two-time Olympic champion in the marathon, first at the Rome Olympics in 1960, when Bikila completed the course barefoot in world- record time (2:15:16), becoming the first African to win Olympic gold. Four years later in Tokyo, Bikila successfully defended his Olympic crown, setting a new world record in the process at 2:12:11.  (By the by, in the 54 years since Bikila's performance, the world record has fallen by less than 10 minutes despite the myriad advances made in all areas contributing to athletic performance.)  Sadly, Bikila was involved in a career-ending car accident in 1969; four years later he was to die of accident-related complications.

Photo: Wikipedia
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