Mamo Wolde facts for kids
Wolde in 1963
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native name | ማሞ ወልዴ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Degaga Wolde | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 June 1932 Ada'a, Ethiopian Empire |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 26 May 2002 (aged 69) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Resting place | Saint Joseph's Church 8°58′11.57″N 38°46′1.51″E / 8.9698806°N 38.7670861°E |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 170 cm | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 54 kg | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Marathon 10,000 metres |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Degaga "Mamo" Wolde (June 12, 1932 – May 26, 2002) was a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. He competed in many types of races, including track, cross-country, and road running events. Mamo Wolde is best known for winning the gold medal in the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He was a true legend in Ethiopian athletics.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Degaga Wolde was born on June 12, 1932, in a place called Ada'a in Ethiopia. He came from an Oromo family. His younger brother, Demissie Wolde, also became a well-known long-distance runner. In 1951, Degaga moved to Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.
Amazing Athletics Career
Mamo Wolde had a long and successful career in running. He started with shorter races and later became a champion in long-distance events.
Olympic Beginnings
Mamo Wolde first competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. There, he took part in the 800-meter race, the 1,500-meter race, and the 4x400 relay. These were middle-distance events.
He did not compete in the 1960 Summer Olympics. This was the year when Abebe Bikila became the first Ethiopian to win an Olympic gold medal.
Shifting to Long Distances
In the 1960s, Mamo Wolde changed his focus. He started training for longer races instead of middle-distance ones. He became very good at cross-country running. He won the International Juan Muguerza race in Spain in both 1963 and 1964. He also won the Cross de San Donostin in Spain in the same years.
At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Mamo Wolde finished fourth in the 10,000-meter race. This race was famously won by Billy Mills from the United States. Mamo's brother, Demissie, also became a marathon runner. Both brothers competed in the 1964 Olympic marathon. Mamo had qualified by running a very fast time, just behind Abebe Bikila.
In 1965, Mamo and Abebe Bikila took part in a special half marathon. They ran from Central Park in New York City to the Singer Bowl at the New York World's Fair. They carried a special message from Emperor Haile Selassie. Mamo continued his winning streak in Spain, winning races in San Sebastian and Elgoibar again in 1967 and 1968.
Olympic Gold and More Medals
The 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City was a huge success for Mamo Wolde. He became the second Ethiopian runner to win a gold medal in the marathon. This was an amazing achievement! Earlier in the same Olympics, he had also won a silver medal in the 10,000-meter race.
At the age of 40, Mamo Wolde won his third Olympic medal. He took the bronze medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. His brother Demissie also competed in this race. Mamo Wolde was only the second person in Olympic history to win medals in two marathons in a row. The first was Abebe Bikila. Mamo also won the marathon race at the 1973 All-Africa Games.
Military Service
In 1951, Mamo Wolde joined the Imperial Guard, which was a special military unit. He later served as a peacekeeper in Korea from 1953 to 1955.
Later Life
Mamo Wolde passed away on May 26, 2002, at the age of 69. He died from liver cancer. He was married twice and had three children: a son named Samuel, and two children named Addis Alem and Tabor. Mamo Wolde was buried in Saint Joseph's Church Cemetery in Addis Ababa.
See also
In Spanish: Mamo Wolde para niños
