Abebe Bikila
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Abebe Bikila was an Ethiopian runner who won the Olympic marathon twice, making him one of the sport's greatest distance runners. His achievements were historically significant because they demonstrated Ethiopian excellence in long-distance running and brought international recognition to his country.
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Person
- Born
- 1932-01-01
- Died
- 1973-10-25
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Jato, Ethiopia
Known for
- 1960 — Self (archive footage)2010
- The Athlete — Himself (archive footage)2009
- Marathon Man — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)1976
- Tokyo Olympiad — Self1965
- Der Sport-Spiegel — Self1963
via TMDB
Listeners · Last.fm
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- Total plays
Article
Shambel Abebe Bikila (Amharic: ሻምበል አበበ ቢቂላ; August 7, 1932 – October 25, 1973) was an Ethiopian marathon runner who was a back-to-back Olympic marathon champion. He was the first Ethiopian Olympic gold medalist, winning his first gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome while running barefoot. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he won his second gold medal, making him the first athlete to successfully defend an Olympic marathon title. In both victories, he ran in world record time.
Born in Shewa, Abebe moved to Addis Ababa around 1952 and joined the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Ethiopian Imperial Guard, an elite infantry division that safeguarded the emperor of Ethiopia. Abebe served in the Kagnew Battalion during the Korean War.
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1932 births1973 deathsAthletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer OlympicsAthletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer OlympicsAthletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer OlympicsBBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year winnersEthiopian men marathon runnersJapan Championships in Athletics winnersMedalists at the 1960 Summer OlympicsMedalists at the 1964 Summer OlympicsMilitary personnel of the Korean War