Medal Count

Gold

4

Sliver

1

Bronze

3

Total

8

Sep 30, 2000

Ethiopian Gezahgne Abera pulled away in the final three miles to win the gold medal in the men's marathon as African athletes filled the three medal positions. Abera finished in a time of two hours, 10 minutes and 11 seconds to beat Kenya's Eric Wainaina by 20 seconds, with another Ethiopian Tesfaye Tola in third .                                                    

Altitude training secret of Ethiopian golds
Sabrina Yohannes

2 October 2000 - Sydney - Intensive high-altitude training in the month before the Olympics is the key to Ethiopia's record haul of four gold medals at the Sydney Games, according to team officials.

Ethiopian track athletes' gold medal tally, only bettered by the United States at the Sydney Games, was crowned when Gezahenge Abera completed a great tradition for his country by winning the final event, the men's marathon.

"We train high, and compete low," said team doctor Ayalew Tilahun

Sports Culture

Ethiopia's Olympic debut came at the 1956 Melbourne Games, but it was Abebe Bikila's epic barefooted Olympic marathon victory through the streets of Rome in 1960 that thrust Ethiopian athletes into the global sporting limelight. By winning at the 1964 Tokyo Games (this time wearing shoes), he became the first athlete to win consecutive Olympic marathons. At the 1968 Games in Mexico City, Ethiopia claimed a third consecutive marathon gold on the performance of Mamo Wolde. In between Ethiopia's participation in the 1976 and 1984 Olympic boycotts, Miruts Yifter won gold medals in the men's 5,000- and 10,000-metre events at the 1980 Moscow Games. Haile Gebrselassie, the current Olympic and world champion in the 10,000-metre race and world-record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, is the dominant long-distance runner of the 1990s. Ethiopian women also enjoy an impressive record. Derartu Tulu captured the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and Fatuma Roba won the marathon gold medal in 1996. The international triumphs of Ethiopian runners, highlighted by their eight Olympic gold medals, have lifted the spirits of a people deeply aggrieved by the effects of political conflicts, social upheaval and environmental disasters.

In addition to boasting excellent track athletes, Ethiopia was instrumental in the organisation of post-colonial African football, thanks to the efforts of Ydnekatchew Tessema. A former player for the St George football team of Addis Ababa, Tessema was a founding member and guiding force of the African Football Confederation from 1957 to his death in 1987. In the 1960s Ethiopia was a force in African football, seizing the 1962 African Nations Cup held in Addis Ababa and finishing fourth in 1963 and 1968. Star forward Worku Menghistu personified the golden age of Ethiopian football and was a national hero in the 1960s. After 1970 football in Ethiopia entered a period of steady decline.

Learn more at Britannica.com

All contents on this site is intended as a brief look at the certain aspects of national geography and sporting culture. It should not be construed as a comprehensive overview of a the whole sport coverage. The site is just informational purpose only.

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

1896
1900
1904
1906
1908
1912
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996

Spiridon Louis GRE
Michel Théato FRA(LUX)
Thomas Hicks USA
William Sherring CAN
John Hayes USA
Kenneth MacArthur SAF
Hannes Kolehmainen FIN
Albin Stenroos FIN
Mohamed El Ouafi FRA(ALG)
Juan Carlos Zabala ARG
Sohn Kee-Chung # JPN(KOR)
Delfo Cabrera ARG
Emil Zátopek TCH(CZE)
Alain Mimoun FRA
Abebe Bikila ETH
Abebe Bikila ETH
Mamo Wolde ETH
Frank Shorter USA
Waldemar Cierpinski GDR
Waldemar Cierpinski GDR
Carlos Lopes POR
Gelindo Bordin ITA
Hwang Young-Cho KOR
Josiah Thugwane RSA

2:58:50*
2:59:45*
3:28:53*
2:51:24*
2:55:19
2:36:55*
2:32:36*
2:41:23
2:32:57
2:31:36
2:29:20
2:34:52
2:23:04
2:25:00
2:15:17
2:12:12
2:20:27A
2:12:20
2:09:55
2:11:03
2:09:21
2:10:32
2:13:23
2:12:36

Kharilaos Vasilakos GRE
Emile Champion FRA
Albert Corey USA(FRA)
John Svanberg SWE
Charles Hefferon SAF
Christian Gitsham SAF
Jüri Lossman EST
Romeo Bertini ITA
Miguel Plaza CHI
Sam Ferris GBR
Ernie Harper GBR
Tom Richards GBR
Reinaldo Gorno ARG
Franjo Mihalic YUG
Rhadi Ben Abdesselem MAR
Basil Heatley GBR
Kenzhi Kimihara JPN
Karel Lismont BEL
Frank Shorter USA
Gerard Nijboer NED
John Treacy IRL
Douglas Wakiihuri KEN
Koichi Morishita JPN
Lee Bong-Ju KOR

3:06:03*
3:04:17*
3:34:52*
2:58:21*
2:56:06
2:37:52*
2:32:49*
2:47:20
2:33:23
2:31:55
2:31:24
2:35:08
2:25:35
2:26:32
2:15:42
2:16:20
2:23:31A
2:14:32
2:10:46
2:11:20
2:09:56
2:10:47
2:13:45
2:12:39

Gyula Kellner HUN
Ernst Fast SWE
Arthur Newton USA
William Frank USA
Joseph Forshaw USA
Gaston Strobino USA
Valerio Arri ITA
Clarence DeMar USA
Martii Marttelin FIN
Armas Toivonen FIN
Nam Sung-Yong # JPN(KOR)
Etienne Gailly BEL
Gustaf Jansson SWE
Veikko Karvonen FIN
Barry Magee NZL
Kokichi Tsuburaya JPN
Michael Ryan NZL
Mamo Wolde ETH
Karel Lismont BEL
Saty. Dzhumanazarov URS(KGZ)
Charlie Spedding GBR
Ahmed Salah DJI
Stephan Freigang GER
Eric Wainaina KEN

3:09:35*
3:37:14*
3:47:33*
3:00:47*
2:57:11
2:38:43*
2:36:33*
2:48:14
2:35:02
2:32:12
2:31:42
2:35:54
2:26:07
2:27:47
2:17:19
2:16:23
2:23:45A
2:15:09
2:11:13
2:11:35
2:09:58
2:10:59
2:14:00
2:12:44

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

1984
1988
1992
1996
2000

Joan Benoit USA
Rosa Mota POR
Valentina Yegorova EUN(RUS)
Fatuma Roba ETH
Naoko Takahashi JPN

2:24:52
2:25:40
2:32:41
2:26:05
2:23:14

Grete Waitz NOR
Lisa Martin AUS
Yuko Arimori JPN
Valentina Yegorova RUS
Lidia Simon ROM

2:26:18
2:25:53
2:32:49
2:28:05
2:23:22

Rosa Mota POR
Katrin Dörre GDR
Lorraine Moller NZL
Yuko Arimori JPN
Joyce Chepchumba KEN

2:26:57
2:26:21
2:33:59
2:28:39
2:24:45

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