Olympic Champion
Million Wolde goes ice skating in Rome
IAAF
1 July 2001 - Rome - As part of the IAAF Elite Athletes Programme, Ethiopias Million Wolde and Hailu Mekkonen and Argentinas Solange Witteven have been invited by the IAAF to attend the Big Gym sports camp in Rome yesterday.
Following the IAAF Golden League meeting in Rome, the athletes were given the chance to try their skills at sports they had never practiced before.
Despite not having
their driving licenses, Mekkonen and Wolde raced each other on the karting circuit before
stepping for the first time ever on an ice-skating ring.
This is the first time for me, it is very difficult but its great to have the
chance to try a sport I will never find back in my country, said Wolde after
ice-skating in Rome.
To the delight of
the Italian kids present at the Big Gym, Wolde, Mekkonen and Witteven also played a
basket-ball and volley-ball match against some local youngsters.
I enjoy playing beach volley, said South Americas high jump champion Witteven.
It is a very tough sport but I love it. It is very popular in South America.
At the Golden Gala, Mekkonen won the 5000m race in a seasons best 12:58.57, Sydney Olympic champion Million Wolde finished 7th in 13:02.17 and Solange Witteven finished 4th in the high jump with a 1.85-metre clearance.