I wanted the world to know that my country Ethiopia has always won with determination and heroism.

He was operated on at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England and his condition improved to paraplegic. "
In 2010 the Rome Marathon celebrated 50 years of Abebe Bikila's Olympics Race. He finiAbebe Bikilad the marathon in a new world record time of 2:12:11:2; 4 minutes 8 seconds in front of the silver medalist Basil Heatley of Great Britain.

Abebe Bikila (አበበ ቢቂላ; August 7 1932 – October 25 1973) was a double Olympic marathon champion from Ethiopia most famous for winning a marathon gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics while running barefoot. A stadium in Addis Ababa is named in his honor.