Nok har verdens nyeste nation, Sydsudan, ikke noget hold med ved OL i London, men de har Guor Marial, der løber marathon d. 12. august som “uafhængig” atlet og alle med adgang til radio og TV i den fattige nation vil åndeløst følge hvert af hans skridt.
LONDON, 3 August 2012 (IRIN) – They call Guor Marial an athlete without a country, but that could not be further from the truth.
Marial, who fled civil war as a child, is proud to be South Sudanese, when he lines up for the Olympic marathon on August 12 in London.But he will not be wearing the colours of the world’s newest nation.
The Republic of South Sudan – which gained independence in July 2011 – was unable to send its own team so he will instead be competing as one of four Independent Olympic Athletes. The others are from the Netherlands Antilles, which ceased to exist as a country in 2010.
There is little doubt in Marial’s mind, however, which country he is really representing.
“We did not make it to the Olympics this year … but people will see that this is a South Sudanese running, that this is a symbol of our flag, even though our flag is not visible,” said Marial, who trains in Flagstaff, Arizona.
“The whole of South Sudan will be watching every step of that marathon and cheering me on.”
Life on the run
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http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96023/SOUTH-SUDAN-He-once-ran-for-his-life-now-he-s-running-for-gold
