The Athlete - Production & Contact Info

The Athlete (2009)
Not Rated
92 min | Biography, Drama

The Athlete (2009)

Not Rated

92 min | Biography, Drama

Running the streets of Rome in 1960, an unknown, barefooted Ethiopian man stunned the world by winning Olympic gold in the marathon. Overnight, Abebe Bikila became a sports legend. A hero in his own country and to the continent, Bikila was...See moreRunning the streets of Rome in 1960, an unknown, barefooted Ethiopian man stunned the world by winning Olympic gold in the marathon. Overnight, Abebe Bikila became a sports legend. A hero in his own country and to the continent, Bikila was the first African to win a gold medal, and four years later in Tokyo would become the first person in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the marathon. This soldier and quiet son of a shepherd would be acknowledged by many as the greatest long distance runner the world had ever known. One evening while returning to his home in Addis Ababa from training in the Ethiopian countryside, Bikila was involved in a tragic car accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Unable to walk and faced with the greatest challenge of his life, he struggled to maintain his will to live and in the process discovered a deeper meaning of competition, taking up archery for the Paralympics and competing as a handicapped dog sledder in Norway. Though his running career had come to a tragic end, the race of his life had a new beginning. For the first time, the true story of Bikila's epic quest for life and sport comes to the big screen. Not since Raging Bull has the life of an athlete been rendered with such emotional power and cinematic grace. Written by Anonymous See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
17 cast members

Name	Known for
Rasselas Lakew Abebe Bikila Abebe Bikila See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Dag Malmberg Onni Onni See fewer	Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)
Ruta Gedmintas Charlotte Charlotte See fewer	A Street Cat Named Bob (2016)
Abba Waka Dessalegn The Priest The Priest See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Johnny Ashenafi Coach Nega Coach Nega See fewer	Leila (2006)
Woyneshet Belachew Telephone Operator Telephone Operator See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Abebe Bikila Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
Arne Boysen Gunnar Krogsveen Gunnar Krogsveen See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Yeneneh Ezra Emperor Haile Selassie Emperor Haile Selassie See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Fekadu Gemechu Uncle Uncle See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Mersha Getahun Bartender Bartender See fewer	Yesuf Ababa (2022)
Tigist Gurma Motel Manager Motel Manager See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Benito Mussolini Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Hundred Days (1935)
Hristo Petkov Archery coach Archery coach See fewer	Angel Has Fallen (2019)
Ekaterina Petrova Journalist Journalist See fewer	Magma: Volcanic Disaster (2006)
Assefa Tegene Male Border Guard Male Border Guard See fewer	The Athlete (2009)
Zelalem Yetagesu Rude Officer Rude Officer See fewer	Yabedech Yarada Lij 3 (2017)