Editing Mamo Wolde

{{Short description|Ethiopian marathon runner (1932–2002)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Patronymic name|Degaga|Wolde|his}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Mamo Wolde
| image = El etiope Mamo Wolde 'Gacela Negra' en el cross de Elgoibar - Fondo Marín-Kutxa Fototeka.jpg
| caption = Wolde in 1963
| native_name = ማሞ ወልዴ
| birth_name = Degaga Wolde
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|6|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ada'a]], [[Ethiopian Empire]]
| death_place = [[Addis Ababa]], [[Ethiopia]] <!-- needs confirmation -->
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|5|26|1932|6|12|df=y}} <!-- Death in May 2002, exact date to be confirmed -->
| resting_place = [[Saint Joseph's Church (Addis Ababa)|Saint Joseph's Church]]
| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|8|58|11.57|N|38|46|1.51|E}}
| height = 170 cm
| weight = 54 kg
| sport = Athletics
| event = [[Marathon]]<br />[[10,000 metres]]
| pb = {{unbulleted list
|'''[[800 m]]:''' 1:58.0 (1956)
|'''[[1500 m]]:''' 3:51.0 (1956)
|'''[[5000 m]]:''' 13:38.8 (1967)
|'''[[10,000 m]]:''' 28:31.8 (1964)
|'''[[One hour run|One hour]]:''' 19,945 (1962)
|'''[[Marathon]]:''' 2:15:09 (1972)
}}
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport|Men's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{ETH|1897}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|[[Athletics at the Olympic Games|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]]|[[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics - Men's Marathon|Marathon]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|1968 Mexico City|[[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics - Men's 10,000 metres|10,000 m]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Men's Marathon|Marathon]]}}
}}

'''Degaga "Mamo" Wolde''' ({{langx|am| ማሞ ወልዴ}}; 12 June 1932 – 26 May 2002) was an Ethiopian [[long-distance runner]] who competed in [[track and field|track]], [[cross country running|cross-country]], and [[road running]] events. He was the winner of the [[marathon (sport)|marathon]] at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]].

==Early life==
Degaga was born on 12 June 1932 in [[Ada'a]] to an [[Oromo people|Oromo]] family.<ref name=":3" /> His younger brother, [[Demissie Wolde]] (b. 8 March 1937), also became an international distance running star.

In 1951, Degaga moved to [[Addis Ababa]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/the-life-and-trials-of-malmo-wolde |title=The Life and Trials of Mamo Wolde |last=Vettenniemi |first=Erkki |date=1 September 2002 |newspaper=Runner's World |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170117060820/http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/the-life-and-trials-of-malmo-wolde |archive-date=17 January 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=17 January 2017 }}</ref>

==Athletics career==
At his first Olympic appearance in [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956]], Degaga competed in the 800 m, 1,500 m and the 4x400 relay.<ref name="SR">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/mamo-wolde-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173700/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/mamo-wolde-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Mamo Wolde |access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=October 2021|reason=citation needed for 4x400 relay}}

He did not compete in the [[1960 Summer Olympics]], when [[Abebe Bikila]] became the first Ethiopian to win a gold medal. Degaga claimed his absence was due to the government's desire to send him on a peacekeeping mission to the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]] during the [[Congo Crisis]]. According to him, in the government's ensuing conflict with the [[Ethiopian Olympic Committee]], who wanted him to compete, he did not get sent to either event. However, athlete Said Moussa Osman, who represented Ethiopia in the 800 m at the 1960 Olympics, stated that Degaga lost at the trials and did not make it to the team.<ref name=":2" />

Beginning in the 1960s, Degaga's focus changed from [[Middle distance track event|middle distance races]] to long distances. He made Ethiopia's first mark at international cross-country races when he took the International Juan Muguerza in [[Elgoibar]], Spain, winning in 1963 and 1964, and at the Cross de San Donostin in [[San Sebastian, Spain]], in the same years.<ref name=Hutchinson /> He placed fourth in the 10,000 m at the [[1964 Summer Olympics]], which was won by [[Billy Mills]] of the [[United States]] in one of the biggest upsets in the history of Olympic competition.<ref>[https://www.stripes.com/news/billy-mills-pride-of-a-marine-heart-of-a-warrior-1.18390 Billy Mills, pride of a marine, heart of a warrior], ''[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]'', 2 July 1999, Sean Moore. Retrieved 2 January 2018.</ref> Demissie also became a marathon runner.

Both brothers competed in Tokyo, in the [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon|1964 Olympic marathon]]. On 3 August 1964, in the Ethiopian Olympic trials, a race held at 8,000 feet, Degaga qualified by running 2:16:19.2, just 4/10ths of a second behind Abebe Bikela, with Demissie finishing 2:19:30, for 3rd place. Although Degaga dropped out early, Demessie, after being among the leaders for much of the 1964 Olympic race, finished tenth in 2:21:25.2.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Olympic_Marathon.html The Olympic Marathon], ''Human Kinetics,'' David E. Martin, Roger W. H. Gynn, 2000. Retrieved 9 January 2018.</ref> On 21 April 1965, as part of the opening ceremonies for the second season of the [[1964 New York World's Fair|1964/1965 New York World's Fair]], Abebe and Degaga participated in an exclusive ceremonial half marathon.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C06E0DC1F38E13ABC4A51DFB266838E679EDE|title=Lo, a Magic City Awakens and Wizard Rejoices...|last=Phillips|first=Mccandlish|date=22 April 1965|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|url-access=subscription |access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> They ran from the [[Arsenal (Central Park)|Arsenal]] in [[Central Park]] at 64th Street & [[Fifth Avenue]] in [[Manhattan]] to the [[Singer Bowl]] at the fair.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9806E2DF1F30E033A25752C2A9629C946491D6CF|title=The Fair Resumes Today With Many New Exhibits...|last=Alden|first=Robert|date=4 April 1965|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|url-access=subscription |access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> They carried with them a parchment scroll with greetings from [[Haile Selassie]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E00E1D7153CE733A25756C1A9629C946491D6CF|title=Ethiopia Marathon Star Here for Fair|last=Jones|first=Theodore|date=4 April 1965|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|url-access=subscription |access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> In 1967, he repeated his wins in San Sebastian and Elgiobar, and won again at the latter event in 1968.<ref name=Hutchinson>{{cite book | last = Hutchinson | first = Andrew Boyd | title =  The Complete History of Cross-Country Running: From the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day | location = New York | publisher = [[Skyhorse Publishing]] | pages = 88–90 | date = January 2018 | isbn = 978-1-631-44076-2 }}</ref>

In the [[1968 Summer Olympics]], Degaga became the second Ethiopian to win gold in the marathon. Earlier in the same Olympics, he had won the silver medal in the 10,000 m.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/28/nyregion/mamo-wolde-olympic-marathon-champion.html|title=Mamo Wolde, Olympic Marathon Champion|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|date=28 May 2002|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=17 January 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170117054631/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/28/nyregion/mamo-wolde-olympic-marathon-champion.html|archive-date=17 January 2017|url-status=live|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> At the age of 40, Degaga won his third Olympic medal placing third in 2:15:08 at the [[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon|1972 Olympic marathon]], while Demissie placed 18th in 2:20:44.0.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |check-wikidata=no |title=Demissie Wolde |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/demissie-wolde-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418102429/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/demissie-wolde-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |accessdate=14 October 2009}}</ref><ref name="SR"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/jun/08/guardianobituaries.athletics |title=Mamo Wolde |last=Mason |first=Nick |date=7 June 2002 |newspaper=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170117053612/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/jun/08/guardianobituaries.athletics |archive-date=17 January 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=17 January 2017 }}</ref> Degaga also won the marathon race in the [[Athletics at the 1973 All-Africa Games|1973 All-Africa Games]]. He blamed his Olympic third place showing in 1972 on ill-fitting shoes forced on him by Ethiopian officials.<ref name=":2" /> He became only the second person in Olympic history (Bikila was the first) to medal in successive Olympic marathons. Both medalists who finished ahead of Degaga, [[Frank Shorter]] from the U.S.A., and Belgium's [[Karel Lismont]] would repeat Degaga's feat in 1976 as they finished second and third behind East Germany's [[Waldemar Cierpinski]]. Cierpinski repeated his win in 1980. Since Cierpnski, [[Erick Wainaina]] finished third in Atlanta in 1996 and second in Sydney in 2000, and [[Eliud Kipchoge]] won in Rio in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021.  Degaga also won the marathon race in the [[Athletics at the 1973 All-Africa Games|1973 All-Africa Games]].{{cn|date=May 2022}}

==Military career==
In 1951, Degaga joined the [[Kebur Zabagna|Imperial Guard]]. He later [[Kagnew Battalion|served as a peacekeeper]] in [[Korea]] from 1953 to 1955.<ref name=":2" />

==Arrest==
In 1993, Degaga was arrested on the accusation that he participated in a [[Red Terror (Ethiopia)|Red Terror]] execution during the regime of the dictator [[Mengistu Haile Mariam]].<ref name=":1" /> He argued that although he was present at the killing, he was not a direct participant.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/the-life-and-trials-of-malmo-wolde|title=The Life and Trials of Malmo Wolde|date=1 September 2002|work=Runner's World|access-date=30 January 2018|language=en}}</ref> The IOC campaigned the Ethiopian government for his release.<ref name=":1" /> In early 2002 he was convicted and sentenced to six years of imprisonment. Therefore, he was released because he had spent nine years in detention already waiting for his trial.<ref name=":1" />

==Death==
On 26 May 2002, Degaga died of liver cancer at age 69, just a few months after his release.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jun-12-me-wolde12-story.html|title=Mamo Wolde; Won Olympic Gold, Bronze|last=Thurber|first=Jon |date=12 June 2002|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=26 February 2017|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://rw.runnersworld.com/selects/chasing-justice.html |title=Chasing Justice |last=Moore |first=Kenny |date=1 January 2004 |newspaper=Runner's World |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170117064617/http://rw.runnersworld.com/selects/chasing-justice.html |archive-date=17 January 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=17 January 2017 }}</ref> He had been married twice and had three children; a son, Samuel, with his first wife, and two children, Addis Alem and Tabor, with his second wife.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=http://www.kennymoore.us/kcmarticles/woldehonolulu/woldestory.htm|title=The Ordeal of Mamo Wolde|last=Moore|first=Kenny|date=2005|publisher=Honolulu Marathon Association|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170117065905/http://www.kennymoore.us/kcmarticles/woldehonolulu/woldestory.htm|archive-date=17 January 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=17 January 2017}}</ref> Degaga is interred in Saint Joseph's Church Cemetery in Addis Ababa.<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Olympics.com|org_archive=20210420}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Marathon Men}}
{{Footer All-Africa Champions Marathon Men}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mamo Wolde}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from liver cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Ethiopian male long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Ethiopian male marathon runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:African Games gold medalists for Ethiopia]]
[[Category:African Games medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1965 All-Africa Games]]
[[Category:20th-century Ethiopian sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Ethiopian people]]