- Gelindo Bordin
Gelindo Bordin (born
April 2 ,1959 ) is an Italian former athlete, winner of the marathon race at the1988 Summer Olympics .Born atVicenza , Bordin made his first breakthrough at the 1986 European Championships where he won a gold medal.His next international competition was at the 1987 World Championships in
Rome . The marathon race was held on a very hot and humid day, and Bordin wisely held back from the leaders in the early stages. He caught up the leaders after the 35 km mark and finally settled to third place.At the Olympic marathon in
Seoul , Bordin stayed with the leaders from the start, and after 25 km the leading pack started losing contact one by one, and with 5 km remaining, only three runners remained, Bordin,Douglas Wakiihuri fromKenya , andAhmed Salah fromDjibouti . With 3 km to go, the latter two sprinted forward, but just a kilometre to run, Bordin swept past them to win a gold.Bordin successfully defended his European marathon title in 1990, becoming the first man to win the title twice, but at the 1991 World Championships in
Tokyo , he finished in a disappointing eighth place. Bordin attempted to defend his Olympic title at1992 Summer Olympics inBarcelona , but he strained a groin muscle jumping over a fallen runner just after the halfway mark, and failed to finish. Shortly after the Olympics Bordin decided to retire.Bordin is the only male to ever win both the
Boston Marathon and an Olympic gold medal in the marathon. He won the Boston Marathon in 1990.ee also
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List of winners of the Boston Marathon External links
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