Amanal Petros wrote with World Cup silver in the German athletics history marathon. As a 16-year-old, he fled to Germany in Ethiopia before the war and found some ease while running. After the triumph of Tokyo, his thoughts were with his family, who still has to fear for her life in Tigray.
Overjoyed and sad at the same time, the emotional world of Amanal Petros confused wildly after his sensational silver run. “I’m dreaming right now, it was really a very, very long journey, but finally I did it”said the runner born in Eritrea in an emotional sports show interview.
Mother and sisters without electricity and internet
Petros confesses: “For me it is a huge story to achieve it – especially for my family, for my mom, who has lived in a war zone forever and that I haven’t seen for eight or nine years. This is difficult and sad for me, but it gives me a lot of strength.”
Hopefully I will bring my family to Germany at some point and invite them to a competition.
Petros’ mother and his two younger sisters become the course of his life “Unfortunately not seen because there is no electricity or internet in your village”the silver medalist reported. “But I’ll send you videos. And hopefully I’ll bring you to Germany at some point and invite you to a competition. To just show how I run.”
“When I run, I think of my family”
The war between the regional government in Tigray and the Ethiopian central government has officially ended, but there are still struggles, displacement and repression against civil society in the crisis area.
According to Amnesty International, 600,000 people killed in the conflict, more than 120,000 women were raped and almost two million people were sold.
“When I run, I think of my family”Petros once said, and also in the glutofen of Tokyo she gave him strength in a hard race in extreme conditions.
Gold missed around a blink of an eye
Only the tiny of three hundredths of a second was missing from the dramatic photo finish after 2:09:48 hours to gold that went to Alphonce Felix Simbu from Tanzania. In the 100-meter final, the new world champion Oblique Seville (Jamaica) had a bigger lead. Never before in the World Cup history in the marathon, the first and second finished at the finish line.
At the last round in the nation stadium, Petros even led a few meters before he turned two or three times times and was still intercepted by the African.
Looked back and get a cramp
“This is a problem from me that I always look back”said Petros. Shortly before the finish line he had “Such a cramp. I really couldn’t run full. And at the end of the day I actually thought I was winning.”
He was too “Sad, the gold medal lost” to have: “But I have to accept that. I mean, I have now got my first silver medal at World Championships. I am very happy and very satisfied.”
“Amanal wrote history”
“Amanal wrote history. Simply outstanding”cheered a completely overwhelmed marathon national coach Alexander Fromm, who had tears of joy in his eyes. He had followed the finish on the route at kilometer 35.8 in the Sportschau-Livestream and almost screamed his protégé from there.
“Running gave me a future”
“For me, this medal is a huge integration as a German”said Petros, who had started running in front of a refugee home in Bielefeld in order to be able to push the worries about home and family aside for a few kilometers and to feel a little ease.
For me, this medal is a huge integration as a German.
“Running gave me a future and showed the path that I could go in Germany”according to the Hannover 96th athlete. With the Tokyo sensation silver, the 30-year-old may have taken the last big step on his trip. Now he may also feel a bit of lightness away from the running track.