The above article from the New York Daily News covers the recent death of Meskerem Assefa, Ethiopian Olympian who died recently in Connecticut. Not an icon , yet a gifted athlete. She was nine months pregnant and fortunately the baby was saved. She reportedly had a history of heart problems. A picture in the news article showed her competing for Brazil, suggesting she is one of the many talented Africans who must abandon their citizenship to compete in world championships and the Olympics. When I was in Kenya in 2007, one of the major news stories was the exodus of world class junior athletes from that country who saw no hope of competing for Kenya and left the country quietly to seek a different nationality. The Kenyan Athletic Association was threatening prosecution of anyone caught aiding these runners to leave.
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| Meskerem Assefa Running in 1500 m semi final for Ethiopia in World Championships in Berlin, 2009 |
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