No.27 Mirus Yifter Country:
Ethiopia Sport: Track and Field
A double Gold Medal winner at the 1980 Olympic Games in the 5000 and 10,000 meters distance races Mirus Yifter continues the tradition of Abebe Bikila the Ethiopian distance running legend. Mirus is one of those names when mentioned brings to mind the grit and rise from obscurity of a true gem to a people. Born in Adigrat, Ethiopia Mirus was always a hard worker who worked many odd jobs before finding his way to the Ethiopian Air force where his talents where discovered.
He was selected for the Ethiopian national team for the 1968 Olympic Games but did not participate he made his Olympic debut four years later in Munich Olympics where he won a bronze medal in 10,000 metres. In 1980 he would win the Gold in the 5000 and the 10,000 meters races.
A certain controversy that surrounded Mirus has always been his age but according to him that was a none issue. He was as dominant a distance runner as any other that has ever graced the track and he continued the tradition of his nation.
No. 26 Maria Lourdes Mutola Country:
Mozambique Sport: Track and Field
Often referred to as the greatest female 800 m runner of all time, Maria Mutola who has appeared in six Olympic Games a record for an African athlete is the most dominant middle distance female athlete to have come out of Africa. She was initially a soccer lover who wanted to play soccer as her sport of choice but will later be convinced to try Athletics and she did but was not very enthused about it, she will however be convinced to continue trying and her effort started yielding results. In 1991 she emigrated to the USA with a scholarship. She will attend Springfield High in Oregon where her career will take flight.
Maria is a winner of multiple Gold Medals from several international competitions and of course Gold at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 at the 800 meters. She alongside the likes of basketball great Dikembe Mutombo is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. She will be the host Athlete for the upcoming Maputo - All African Games in September 2011.
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