The astounding finish by Tamrat Tola has reawakened the diving mood of many Ethiopian athletic fans who were highly pissed off by the performance of the team at the Paris 2024 Olympics. His gold medal in the men’s marathon category has not only fascinated many because of the mere scores that the country would earn at the Olympics, but is also reminiscent of the past glorious performances of its athletes in the Olympics Marathon.
Long-distance running is an iconic and beloved sport among Ethiopians. Victory in the long distance was pioneered by the all-time famous athlete Abebe Bikila at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. His trophy came to be a unique phenomenon as he was able to run the rough course of the city barefoot and score a new Olympic record. Yet the other amazing thing was that Abebe passed the qualifier only as an injury reserve since the entrant athlete to the competition was Wami Biratu. Wami, 107 years old now still tries to be in his athletic outfits and do some exercises as well as run a few kilometres defying his aging. One can imagine what kind of a miracle he could have shown to the world 64 years ago if he didn’t encounter an illness.
Fortunately, his successor Abebe did a marvellous job that thrilled the world. Still at the Paris 2024 games Tamrat Tolla has replicated what happened in the Rome Olympics. He was on the reserve list of the Ethiopian Olympic team as the entrant athlete for the contest was Sisay Lema. Yet due to reasons related to wellness, Tamrat Tolla had to replace him.
Tamrat not only accomplished the mission he was given by the team and his people, but he managed to repeat the history of Abebe Bikila as he broke the Olympic record. Except for running on the shoe, unlike what Abebe braved, he was able to repeat the same scenario which, according to what Wami Biratu said during an interview “Ethiopia was able to win gold medal even with its reserve athletes”.
The last time the country won marathon gold medal was at the 2000 Sidney Olympic by athlete Gezahegn Abera. Since then the country has successfully participated in the Olympic Games that took place every four years roaming around the different corners of the planet. It was able to shine in middle and long-distance races. Yet the glorious history made by Abebe in 1960 was not repeated until Tamrat brought it back to Paris in 2024.
Some sources also indicate that Abebe’s victory was an eye-opener not only for Ethiopia but the whole of East Africa where globally renowned athletes sprouted. The ability of East African athletes was announced to the world in the 1960 Olympics as barefooted Abebe Bikila took the gold medal in the Marathon. Bikila repeated in 1964 and the floodgates were opened.
The victory of Abebe Bikila opened the way not only for the inspiration of East African athletes but also for the establishment of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation in 1961, which afterwards the country was able to collect about 45 Olympic medals.
The rich cultural heritage and geographic landscape of Ethiopia have been credited with contributing to the country’s distinguished history in athletics. In Ethiopian society, athletics, especially long-distance running, has always held a significant place. (allinn.com)
Unique physiology endows Ethiopians with an inherent athletic nature, though it wasn’t until the second half of the twentieth century that Ethiopian athletes started to be recognized internationally. The Rome Olympics in 1960 saw Abebe Bikila make history by winning a marathon race running with bare feet and becoming the first African to win a gold medal. This victory not only took Ethiopian sports to the global stage but also inspired subsequent generations of athletes within the country.
Long-distance running, especially marathon has been deep inside the heart of every Ethiopian ever since Abebe Bikila ushered in that unreplicated victory more than six decades ago. Since then Ethiopia has seen many elegant athletes in marathons, 10k and 5k among others both in the men’s and women’s categories. The number of highly talented and elite athletes it produced over the years has raised the name of the country to the extent that it was almost considered a center of excellence in the field.