(May 25, 2013, (Addis Ababa))--The Ethiopian winner of the Boston marathon who crossed the finish line just hours before it was attacked pledged on Sunday to return next year, saying "sport should never be a battleground".
Lelisa Desisa, 23, also told staff from the US embassy at a ceremony attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry that he would donate his winning medal back to the people of Boston as a gesture of solidarity.
He spoke of how his joy swiftly turned to sorrow after crossing the finish line on 15 April - in only the second marathon he ever competed in - when he "learned the tragic news of the death and the injury of so many innocent people".
"This day brought pain to many families, tremendous sorrow to many homes," he said after about 100 staff and family members at the US embassy in Addis Ababa held a moment's silence for the victims. Read more from News24 »
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| U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry talks to 2013 Boston Marathon winner Lelisa Desisa Bentiin, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 26, 2013. |
He spoke of how his joy swiftly turned to sorrow after crossing the finish line on 15 April - in only the second marathon he ever competed in - when he "learned the tragic news of the death and the injury of so many innocent people".
"This day brought pain to many families, tremendous sorrow to many homes," he said after about 100 staff and family members at the US embassy in Addis Ababa held a moment's silence for the victims. Read more from News24 »
Related topics:
In Ethiopia, the Boston Marathon Gave me Hope
Ethiopia's Desisa wins Boston Marathon
Ethiopia's Ali Abdosh Wins Boston Half Marathon
Boston Community Leader Shocked by Ethiopian ...
Secretary Kerry Meets With Ethiopian Prime Minister Dessalegn
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