Tsegai Tewelde bears the scars on his forehead from a landmine that exploded next to him when he was eight, killing his friend and wounding him in five places. The Eritrea-born athlete has rarely stopped running since. He claimed asylum in Scotland in 2008 after authorities ruled he was likely to face persecution back home. And in his first marathon, he summoned a performance of immense willpower to run 2:12:23 – a time good enough to qualify for the British Olympic team this summer.
When asked what it meant to be representing his new country, the 25-year-old began to gently sob. “I had a bomb accident when I was eight years old,” he said. “I had a serious injury, five places on my body, scar on my head. I’m feeling very, very tired after the race but I got through it. I will try my best for Rio.”
It is not uncommon for Tewelde and his group of five other Eritreans, who claimed asylum after competing in the world cross-country championships because they faced being conscripted into the army and being beaten, to be seen running along the Clyde in Glasgow fuelled by a diet of macaroni, meat, fruit and black tea with six spoonfuls of sugar. But he was not on British Athletics’ radar until Sunday’s life-altering performance.
Source link
Rio 2016 Olympics: Eliud Kipchoge wins men"s marathon, Mo Farah claims gold again – live!
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário