"Yifter the Shifter"

After all the waiting, we’re here at last – the day of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. And even the cynics seem to be getting excited. This morning, I assisted Miruts Yifter to raise the London 2012 flag at the entrance to our Embassy compound, where it will fly throughout the Games. Unusually, for the rainy season, it was a bright, dry morning.

Ato Miruts is a former Ethiopian athlete and winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics. His talent as a long-distance runner was noticed when he joined the Ethiopian Air Force.

Yifter was called to the Ethiopian national team for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, but he made his Olympic debut four years later at the Munich Olympics where he won a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres. However, he arrived too late for the 5000 metres final.

In the 1973 All-Africa Games he won one gold medal (10,000 metres) and one silver (5000 metres) and at the 1st African Championships in 1979 he won two gold medals (5000 and 10,000 metres).

Yifter was unable to participate in the 1976 Summer Olympics, but four years later in Moscow he made up for this disappointment. In the final of the 10,000 metres he sprinted into the lead 300 metres from the finish and won by ten metres.

Five days later, in the 5000 metres final, Yifter was boxed in during the last lap. But again, with 300 metres to go, his Ethiopian teammate Mohamed Kedir, stepped aside and Yifter again sprinted to victory. Due to his abrupt change in speed when executing his kick to the finish, Yifter is widely referred to as “Yifter the Shifter.”

There was considerable mystery at the Moscow Olympics over Miruts’ age, which was reported to be between 33 and 42. Yifter refused to give a definitive answer, telling reporters: “Men may steal my chickens; men may steal my sheep. But no man can steal my age.”