In the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics, all athletes were supposed to compete in "Adidas" shoes.
İdman.biz reports that, however, no pair of shoes fit Abebe Bikila. Nevertheless, he made the bold decision to run the marathon barefoot.
The result astonished the world sports community: Bikila not only won the race but also became the first African-American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, breaking the world record. His success was also unexpected for "Adidas", as Bikila, running barefoot, left 68 athletes behind.
Four years later, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Bikila won another gold medal and became the first athlete in history to win the marathon twice.
In 1969, after suffering serious injuries in a car accident, Bikila was unable to run but continued to participate in archery competitions without giving up sports.
Unfortunately, he died in 1973 at the age of 41 due to a cerebral hemorrhage. 75,000 people attended his funeral, and he was remembered as both a national hero and a sports legend.