Only athletes of a certain generation will remember him.
He was 72. If you were around in 1980, the controversial Olympic Games in Moscow, you'll probably remember the showdown between Coe and Ovett. However, you may also remember the 5000 and 10000 metre races being won by a diminutive Ethiopian, who despite being in his late thirties (no one really knew how old he was) had a devastating turn of pace. He was one of the all-time greats.
Sometimes it's hard for us to appreciate running through the eyes of the Africans. For example, in 1980, GB defied the government and still went to Moscow (Russia having recently invaded Afghanistan). However, in 1976, Ethiopia boycotted the Olympics. Their athletes didn't have a choice. They were told what to do. Moreover, I've just read that when Yifter "only" won bronze in 1972, he was put in prison! No glamorous appearances on SPOTY for these guys. If they could feed their families that was enough.
So to all you youngsters - google his name or watch him on You Tube. A man whose influence is very much alive today.
Ethiopia - Miruts Yifter A runner shrouded in mystery
15 May 2007
IOC
The Ethiopian runner Miruts Yifter was a double Olympic champion at the 1980 Games in Moscow. But his career was marked by pitfalls, and the man has kept his secrets. In theory, he is celebrating his 63rd birthday today, but his real date of birth is a total mystery. Let’s have a closer look at this enigmatic athlete.
“Yifter the shifter”
What exactly does this nickname refer to? In fact, to his amazing ability to break clear of the pack just 300 metres before the finish line.
This end-of-race acceleration enabled him to win gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres in Moscow, and earned him the nickname “Yifter the shifter”. What tenacity is displayed by finding the energy to break clear after 13 minutes of running in the 5,000 and 27 minutes in the 10,000 metres.
The only Ethiopian medallist at these Games, he became a star in his country; but things were not always like that.
In 1972, at the Olympic Games in Munich, Yifter won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres. But, upon returning to his country, he was accused of failing at the Games and betraying his homeland. He was put in prison. But this did not prevent him from continuing to train, or from winning gold in the 10,000 metres and silver in the 5,000 metres a year later at the All-Africa Games in Lagos, Nigeria.
Three years after that, he could not compete in the Games in Montreal, following the boycott by most African countries in protest at New Zealand being allowed to take part. He therefore had to wait eight years before standing on the top step of the Olympic podium.
Even now, nobody knows why Yifter failed to turn up for the start of the 5,000 metres final at the 1972 Games in Munich. Another mystery.
Ethiopia, cradle of long distance running
In a country known for its harsh living conditions, Miruts Yifter is one of the famous Ethiopian distance runners who have turned the necessity of covering long distances each day into a globally recognised sporting achievement: Abebe Bikila, the legendary barefoot runner, gold medallist and Olympic record beater in the marathon at the 1960 Games in Rome and the 1964 Games in Tokyo; and another marathon runner, Mamo Wolde, Olympic champion at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
But also Haile Gebrselassie, 10,000 metres champion and record holder in Atlanta and gold medallist again in Sydney, who, it is said, began his career after hearing about Yifter’s success on the radio.
Kenenisa Bekele, the current 5,000 and 10,000 metres world champion and holder of the Olympic 10,000 metres record, was also coached by Yifter.
Or Millon Wolde and Gezahgne Abera, gold medallists in the 5,000 metres and the marathon respectively at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
Mysterious but talented
His age is a secret and his place of birth uncertain, but one thing is sure: Yifter deserved all the medals he won, demonstrating the tenacity, endurance and inner strength which have enabled him to overcome the hurdles of his life’s journey.
Edited by user 23 December 2016 13:59:21(UTC)
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