Abebe Bikila

Abebe Bikila (August 7, 1932 - October 25, 1973) was a two time Olympic marathon champion from Ethiopia.

A police officer and Emperor Haile Selassie's personal bodyguard, Abebe Bikila, born in Mout, Ethiopia, became a national hero after winning the Olympic gold medal in the marathon at the 1960 Summer Olympics. At the Games held in Rome, Bikila ran the entire length of the marathon without shoes. Also of note, during the marathon, Bikila passed the Obelisk of Axum, which was stolen in 1937 from Ethiopia by the Italian army during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.

Bikila was in a weakened condition four years later at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He had had his appendix removed six weeks before the race and missed time training for the event. This time, running with shoes, the result was the same. Bikila became the first to repeat as Olympic champion in the marathon. Again, he set a world best time.

The 1968 Summer Olympic Games were held in Mexico City. Bikila was affected by the high altitude, injury, and age. He was forced to withdraw from the race before the finish.

In 1969, Bikila was driving near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia when his car crashed, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He never regained his full health and died in Addis Ababa as a result of his injuries at the young age of 41. The national stadium in Addis Ababa is named in his honor.