Ethiopian marathon runner Shambel Abebe Bikila (Amharic: ሻሻሻሻ ሻሻሻ ሻሻሻ; August 7, 1932 –
October 25, 1973) was a two-time Olympian winner. Having run barefoot in the 1960 Summer Olympics
in Rome, he became the first Ethiopian to win an Olympic gold medal. It was also Africa's first gold
medal.In [3] He took home his second gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. He consequently made
history by being the first sportsman to win and successfully defend an Olympic marathon championship.
He ran in world records in each of his triumphs.
Abebe was born in Shewa, relocated to Addis Ababa in the vicinity of 1952, and enlisted in the
elite Ethiopian Imperial Guard 5th Infantry Regiment, which was tasked with protecting the
country's emperor. During the Korean War, Abebe was a member of the Kagnew Battalion.In [4]
Joining the military