ATHLETE

Abebe Bikila

1932 - 1973

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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. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Abebe Bikila is the 5th most popular athlete (down from 2nd in 2019), the 4th most popular biography from Ethiopia (down from 1st in 2019) and the most popular Ethiopian Athlete.

Abebe Bikila is most famous for winning the marathon at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

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Among ATHLETES

Among athletes, Abebe Bikila ranks 5 out of 6,025. Before him are Karma, Diego Garcia, Emil Zátopek, and Paavo Nurmi. After him are Jesse Owens, Sigfrid Edström, Florence Griffith Joyner, Spyridon Louis, Thomas Burke, Bob Beamon, and Mara.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1932, Abebe Bikila ranks 16. Before him are Miloš Forman, Johnny Cash, John Williams, Cesare Maldini, Luc Montagnier, and Roh Tae-woo. After him are Anouk Aimée, Peter O'Toole, Sylvia Plath, Miriam Makeba, Fernando Botero, and François Englert. Among people deceased in 1973, Abebe Bikila ranks 20. Before him are İsmet İnönü, J. Hans D. Jensen, Ivan Konev, Paavo Nurmi, Hans Kelsen, and Henri Charrière. After him are John Ford, Karl Ziegler, Ludwig von Mises, Charles Greeley Abbot, Anna Magnani, and Ferdinand Schörner.

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In Ethiopia

Among people born in Ethiopia, Abebe Bikila ranks 4 out of 105. Before him are Haile Selassie (1892), Menelik II (1844), and Zewditu (1876). After him are Sahle-Work Zewde (1950), Menelik I (-954), Yohannes IV (1837), Abraha (600), Tewodros II (1818), Mengistu Haile Mariam (1937), Ezana of Axum (325), and Lij Iyasu of Ethiopia (1895).

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Among ATHLETES In Ethiopia

Among athletes born in Ethiopia, Abebe Bikila ranks 1. After him are Haile Gebrselassie (1973), Mamo Wolde (1932), Miruts Yifter (1944), Kenenisa Bekele (1982), Comoros at the 2020 Summer Olympics (null), Derartu Tulu (1972), Tirunesh Dibaba (1985), Sifan Hassan (1993), Eshetu Tura (1950), Addis Abebe (1970), and Fatuma Roba (1973).

Ethiopian born Athletes

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