Tamirat Tola was Ethiopia’s sole hope for gold in Paris, and the 33-year-old rose to the occasion when it mattered most. The Olympic marathon champion shared the reason behind his determination to prevent Ethiopia from leaving the global championship without a gold medal.
Tola secured Ethiopia’s only gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a remarkable performance in the men’s marathon. Despite the tough course and challenging conditions, he clinched gold with an Olympic record time of 2:06:26. This achievement was even more impressive given that he had only been called up to the team two weeks prior as a replacement for the injured Sisay Lemma.
“It was a very difficult course in Paris. But the only thought in my mind was that I could not lose. Our country had won no gold medals on the track, and the marathon races were the last chance for us, so I needed to make the most of my talent,” Tola, 33, told World Athletics.
The 2023 New York marathon champion, who earned Olympic bronze in the 10,000m in 2016, now adds a second global marathon title to his name after his 2022 World Athletics Championships victory.
Reflecting on his pursuit of gold, Tola mentioned that the challenging Paris course kept him up at night. However, his coach’s encouraging words motivated him, helping him believe that victory was within reach.
“It was the hardest from 27 to 30 kilometres, with the steep hill and the long drop. I wasn’t thinking about the time, but when I finished I had the Olympic record, which was another reason to be proud,” he said.
“My coach had told me that this was a very difficult course, so when I arrived in Paris I thought about how I could run my best on this course. I used this challenge as motivation, and thankfully I overcame it,” Tola added.
For Tola, delivering for his country is never optional. “In athletics, challenges are part of the sport. And we always have to do the best for
our country.”
