Abebe Bikila was the first black African to win an Olympic gold medal. He won the marathon running barefoot in Rome in 1960 and again, wearing shoes, in Tokyo in 1964, becoming the first person to win the most grueling of all human contests twice. Born in rural Ethiopia in 1932, Bikila became the focus of the country's ambition to raise their profile through sport and an figurehead for black African nationalism. Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2006.