Contents
Athlete
Abebe Bikila
Famoose for
Winning consecutive Olympic marathons, the first barefoot.
Barefoot gold · Second marathon title
- Born
- 7 August 1932
- Birthplace
- Jato, Ethiopia
- Died
- 25 October 1973
More people
Abebe Bikila
Abebe Bikila was an Ethiopian runner whose victories helped establish East African distance running internationally.
Early life
Rural origins
Grew up in central Ethiopia.
Military
Joined the Imperial Guard before elite running.
Career
- 1950s
Training
Developed under coach Onni Niskanen.
- 1960
Olympic breakthrough
Won the Rome marathon.
- 1964
Title defence
Won again in Tokyo.
Achievements
Barefoot gold
Won Ethiopia’s first Olympic gold.
Second marathon title
Became the first to defend it successfully.
World-best times
Set world-best marathon performances in both victories.
Beyond athletics
Injury
A 1969 car accident left him paralysed.
Later sport
Participated in sports for athletes with disabilities.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Anefo Derivative work MagentaGreen. CC BY-SA 3.0 nl · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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