Every day, Gashaw would be seen cruising past Debrezeit on the way to Nazareth; or else he would be eating up the road to Sebeta, and beyond. His northern counterpart, Berhanu, would likewise cover arduous distances from Maichew, either battling the towering mountain of Amba Alajje to the north, or if he is heading south, he would glide past the shores of Lake Hashenge to Korem, occasionally stopped by curious relatives who would ask him how are the wife, the children, the families, the cattle, doing.
Fasting and Training
Unlike modern athletes whose support team ranges from diet experts to personal medical doctors, our earliest athletes were almost on their own. Besides, they were serious church goers who would fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. In fact in Melbourne, their first question was if their meals were not tampered with anything like pork or meat products.
Australia: too far!
One of the biggest challenges for the imperial government was flying athletes out of Addis to Australia, whose formidable distance was, by today’s standard, like sending athletes on a camel caravan across the Sahara. The Ethiopian Airlines, our national carrier and pride, was a toddling 11 years old or so. But it was generous enough to deploy one of its planes. The small plane that took off on an historic mission from Old Airport in Addis would, however, be a ‘turtle in the sky’, and after what seemed one solid year, it gracefully landed in next-door Yemen. After refueling in then Yemeni capital Aden, our plane flew for what seemed forever to Singapore, and then to the Philippines, and six days would be counted over the Pacific before our first ‘space shuttle’ showed up in Melbourne.
Four years later, it was the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, where Abebe Bikila came from no where, ran barefoot, and set a world record. Abebe, who by then had the luxury of having a Swedish coach, whose strategy included that once Abebe saw the much-talked-about Ethiopia’s Axum Obelisk in Piazza Carpena in the heart of Rome, he would launch his point-of-no-return flight for a gold medal. It was a success. Abebe set a world record, and amazingly, had an extra energy to do some gymnastics, as if he were warming up for another race. Deservingly, the crowd showered him with wild applause. Abebe would become the first African to win a gold medal. He would double his victory in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Abebe is seen as perhaps one of the greatest Olympians of all time because of his unique abilities: He was a graceful runner, and when he set another world record in Tokyo, he was a few weeks earlier discharged from a hospital where his appendix was removed. Of course, Mamo Wolde would also grab a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, an astonishing feat for an athlete who was 43 years old. Twelve years later, Mirus Yifter would make history at the 1980 Moscow Olympics by becoming the first person in winning double gold in the 5000m and 10000m races. “Socialist” Ethiopia would boycott the next 1984 Los Angeles and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games under the direct orders of Col. Mengistu Haile-Mariam, who wanted to please the Soviets and Kim Il Sung’s North Korea, respectively.
If boycotting the Seoul Olympics had affected a would-be Ethiopian Marathon gold medalist, it was the one and only Belaineh Densimo, one of the greatest Ethiopian marathoners who broke the six-minute barrier and set a world record of 2 hours five minutes and 56 seconds in 1986 in Rotterdam. When word of Ethiopia boycotting the Seoul Olympic Games leaked, it should be on record the former International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Antonio Samaranch, and his Ethiopian advisor, the incomparable Fekrou Kidane, had explored every avenue to persuade the military regime to reconsider its decision. “Boycotting the Olympics means,” the Olympic officials said, “tantamount to denying the rights of the Ethiopian youth to shine at an international youth sports extravaganza that is held once every four years.” Of course, human appeal and dictatorship don’t go together. Consequently, when the boycott was made public, a total shock gripped the Ethiopian sports community. But it took a special strain on Belaineh Densimo, who broke down in tears, and much was never heard of from him since. But we believe he and his colleagues may have been relieved to see the emergence of a young, powerful crop of gold-studded athletes in the likes of the remarkable Hadush Abebe, Derartu Tulu, Haile Gebre-Selassie, Abera Gezahegn, Million Wolde, Fatuma Roba, Elfinesh Kidane, Gete Wami, and of course the up-and-coming international star Kenenisa Bekele. And many more promising youths.
According to some estimates, Ethiopia is home to over 50 top-notch world-class athletes, and credit is due to the family-type atmosphere Ethiopian coaches like Drs Wolde-Meskel Kostre, Yilma Berta, Captain Zelalem Desta, and others have nurtured over the years. The rise of so many shining stars in Ethiopia would have undoubtedly been a compensation for the first Ethiopian Olympian like Gashaw, who about 12 years ago, was working for the automotive company – Moenco. Though frail as an old man, Gashaw was an ’employee’ merely as a goodwill gesture of the Japanese auto company to the old Ethiopian Olympian who excelled when financial rewards were virtually unknown, and athletes remained dependent largely on the generosity of the society. Thank you, Moenco!
The countdown has begun
When we look forward to Friday when Ethiopian athletes would compete in middle-distance races, some discomforting news is already spreading. A number of our athletes may not make it to the starting blocks because of lingering injuries. Word is already out there that King Haile suffers from knee-injury, but has made up his mind to compete for an unprecedented third Olympic victory. World 10000m chapion Berhane Adere is already dropped from the list due to Achilles tendon, although Berhane has lately accused Dr. Woldemeskel Kostre of “personal vendetta.” Reigning Olympic Marathon champion Gezahegn Abera ‘will almost certainly miss the Athens Olympics due to Achilles heel injury,’ according to AP.
Though missing such stars would have its own strong impact on the individual and group performance of our Olympians, we are consoled by the very fact that our country can easily draw raw talents from the huge athletic pool. Paris Marathon champion Anbessa Tolossa would replace Gezahegn Abera, Berhane Adere is replaced by African 10,000-meter champion Ejigayehu Dibaba, and world indoor 3,000-meter champion Meseret Defar would move up to the 5000m to replace Ejigayehu, who cannot compete in two events. Whether gold or not, however, we live by the Olympic motto: “In life, what counts is not necessarily winning, but participating!” Good luck!
