Mamo Wolde
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Demisse "Mamo" Wolde (June 12, 1932-May 26, 2002) was an Ethiopian runner born in Diri Jille. He was winner of the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Wolde was a pioneer of African distance running. He competed at the Summer Olympics in 1956, 1964, 1968, and 1972.
After Abebe Bikila, had won the 1960 and 1964 Olympic marathons, Wolde became the third consecutive Ethiopian to win the title on the distance. Earlier in the same Olympics, Wolde had already won the silver medal on the 10,000 m. In 1972, Wolde, aged 40, won a third Olympic medal, finishing in third position in the marathon.
In 1993, Wolde was arrested, accused of taking part in an execution during the regime of the dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam in his country. In early 2002 he was convicted to six years of imprisonment, but released because he had spent 9 years already waiting for his trial.
A few months after being released, on May 26, 2002, Wolde died of an undisclosed illness.
| Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's Marathon |
| Spiridon Louis | Michel Théato | Thomas J. Hicks | William Sherring | Johnny Hayes | Kenneth McArthur | Hannes Kolehmainen | Albin Stenroos | Boughera El Ouafi | Juan Carlos Zabala | Sohn Kee-chung | Delfo Cabrera | Emil Zátopek | Alain Mimoun | Abebe Bikila (twice) | Mamo Wolde | Frank Shorter | Waldemar Cierpinski (twice) | Carlos Lopes | Gelindo Bordin | Hwang Young-Cho | Josia Thugwane | Gezahegne Abera | Stefano Baldini |