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News30 Jun 2001


Olympic Champion Million Wolde goes ice skating in Rome

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Olympic Champion Million Wolde goes ice skating in Rome
IAAF

1 July 2001 - Rome - As part of the IAAF Elite Athletes Programme, Ethiopia’s Million Wolde and Hailu Mekkonen and Argentina’s 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 it’s 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 America’s 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 season’s 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.

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