In 1936, the Roman dictator Benito Mussolini conquered Ethiopia, and Abebe Bikila conquered Rome twenty years later. As a last minute replacement for the 1960 Olympic team, Bikila was unable to find a comfortable pare of running shoes. His coaches decided he should run the hard surface 26 mile course in his bare feet. Bikila ran in record time and became the first African to win a gold medal. He won again in the 1964 Olympics—this time wearing shoes. Bikila died at 41 of complications resulted from a car accident that had left him a paraplegic. A national day of morning was proclaimed to honor the humble Ethiopian who had gained victory for them in Rome.

Butta via le scarpe e corri! Tutti ricordiamo le storiche immagini di Abebe Bikila, l’atleta etiope che durante i giochi olimipici di Roma nel 1960 corse e vinse l’intera distanza della maratona senza scarpe. Non è cambiato poi molto da allora nel pensiero dei veri... 21 aprile 2010 | blog: Articoli Gratis.iT | Leggi l'articolo