Surprise Athlete

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 53rd birthday today (Friday) to an Olympic champion who also owns an Olympic bronze medal.

This athlete was married the same year he took the bronze medal in the World Championships.

Our surprise athlete also owns a World Championship gold medal.

Can you believe this person was the Track and Field News athlete of the year twice?

Both Olympic medals (gold and bronze) came in different events. Both World Championship medals (gold and bronze) came in different events. Only one of the events from the Olympic Games and the World Championship was the same.

A London subway station was named for our birthday athlete at the 2012 Olympic Games.

The current owner of a sports clothing company, this person also appeared on a postage stamp.

None of this athletes' Olympic or World Championship medals came in the hurdles or any field events.

You can eliminate Europe, North America, and Australia as sites where our birthday person was born.

Now, name this famous Olympic champion.

[rhymans]

Would I be a seer if I said who it was, but didn't say?

[DoubleRBar]

You definitely might.

[Olli]

I confess I missed rhyman's point (me foreigner, little understand), but at least he already said "said."

[dukehjsteve]

clever, clever......

[mcgato]

Sounds like Said Aouita.

[DoubleRBar]

Said Aouita it was, mcgato. Aouita was born 53 years ago yesterday. Of course you know he won Olympic gold and World Championship gold in the 5,000 meters, but some may not remember that he took the bronze medal in the 1988 Olympic 800 meters (1:44.06), even though he was injured.

Said Aouita had maybe the greatest range of any distance runner in track history. In 1985 he was "Athlete of the Year" for TFN. In 1986 he was ranked number one in the world in the 5,000 and in the 10,000. Then, in 1988, he is ranked number one in the world at 800 meters. Without his 1988 injury, he might have won the Seoul 800.

He was a fun runner to watch. Happy birthday yesterday, Said Aouita.