Guor Marial

Last updated
Guor Marial
Guor Marial (Independent Olympic Athlete) - London 2012 Mens Marathon.jpg
Guor Marial in the 2012 Summer Olympics Men's marathon in London
Personal information
Birth nameGuor Mading Maker
Nationality South Sudanese
Born (1984-04-15) 15 April 1984 (age 40)
Panrieng County, Unity, Sudan (present-day South Sudan)
Alma mater Iowa State
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
CountryFlag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan
SportAthletics
EventMarathon
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals 47th (2012); 82nd (2016)
Personal best2:12:55 [1]
Military career
180201-F-XN660-004.jpg
Maker receives an "Airman's Coin" at the Coin Ceremony February 1, 2018 outside the Pfingston Reception Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg United States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Years of service2018–present
Rank E4 USAF SAM.svg Senior Airman [2]
Unit21st Dental Squadron
Updated on 7 August 2023

Guor Mading Maker (born 15 April 1984), also known as Guor Marial, [3] is a South Sudanese Olympic track and field athlete. He is a Dinka tribesman.

Contents

Maker competed in the men's marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Due to the civil war that saw South Sudan split from Sudan, he has refused to compete under the flag of the latter, stating, "It would be betraying my people". He was one of four athletes competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics under the Olympic flag rather than that of an individual country. [4]

Maker competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics for South Sudan, the country's first appearance at an Olympic Games.

A film has been made of his life called Runner. [5]

Early life

Maker left home at the age of seven to live with his uncle in northern Sudan. [3] In 1994, at the age of nine, he fled from a refugee camp during the Sudanese Civil War. [6] While 28 members of his family were killed during the conflict, [6] he was able to escape to Egypt, and then permanently to the United States. [7] He was granted refugee status by the United States when he was 16. Though his parents survived the civil war, at the time of the 2012 Olympics, he had not seen them in 20 years. [8] However, he returned to South Sudan in 2013 and was reunited with his parents. [3] Eight of his brothers and sisters were killed in the war. [9]

He began participating in track and field while attending high school in Concord, New Hampshire, [10] after being encouraged by his gym teacher. [3] He also competed in college at Iowa State, where he was an All-American athlete. [8]

2012 Summer Olympics

Marial fulfilled the A-qualification standard for the marathon in October 2011, allowing him to participate in the Olympic marathon event at the 2012 Summer Olympics. [6] His case was called "unique" by the IOC, [11] as prior to the games, South Sudan had yet to form a National Olympic Committee and seek full recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which would have allowed them to send a team and compete under the flag of South Sudan.

Marial holds permanent resident status in the United States, but not citizenship. [9] According to his interview in Runner's World , he applied for naturalization to become a U.S. citizen in 2011 and had his naturalization interview, but his application remains pending: "Technically, I was supposed to be a citizen last June, because I did everything, I did my citizen test, I did my interview, I did my fingerprint, and everything was all set. All I needed to do was go to their office and get my passport and do the ceremony. That was in June 2011, but there has been a security background check...and that's what took everything longer." [12]

The National Olympic Committee of Sudan offered to allow Marial to compete as a member of the Sudanese team, but he rejected this offer, saying, "It's not right for me to do that. It's not right for me to represent the country I refuged from." [13] He went on to say, "If I ran for Sudan, I would be betraying my people. I would be dishonoring the two million people who died for our freedom." [9]

The IOC-executive board announced its decision on 20 July to allow Marial to participate as an Independent Olympic Athlete. [14] However, his travel documentation did not reach him in time, and so he could not march in the opening ceremony on 27 July. [8]

Marial finished 47th in the marathon, with a time of 2:19:32. [15] His personal best is 2:12:55. [1]

In 2013, Marial became a US citizen. [16] He competed at the 2012 Olympics using his adopted name of Marial, which was the surname of his uncle. However, he has since reverted to his birth name. [3]

2016 Summer Olympics

Marial was selected for the 2016 Olympic Games in the marathon. At the opening ceremony, he was the flag-bearer for South Sudan. [17]

He finished with a season best of 2:22:45, coming 81st overall. [18]

Military career

Maker became an Airman in the United States Air Force on 2 February 2018. [19] He was selected for the United States Air Force World Class Athlete Program. [20] He is currently a dental technician with the 21st Dental Squadron. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lopez Lomong</span> South Sudanese-born American track and field athlete

Lopez Lomong is a South Sudanese-born American track and field athlete. Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, came to the United States at the age of 16 and became a U.S. citizen in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Four independent Olympic Athletes competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the United Kingdom. These were athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles, and from the newly formed state of South Sudan. This was the third time that athletes had competed as independent participants in the Olympics. None of the athletes won an Olympic medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Olympians at the Olympic Games</span> Sporting event delegation

Athletes have competed as independent Olympians at the Olympic Games for various reasons, including political transition, international sanctions, suspensions of National Olympic Committees, and compassion. Independent athletes have come from North Macedonia, East Timor, South Sudan and Curaçao following geopolitical changes in the years before the Olympics, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a result of international sanctions, from India and Kuwait due to the suspensions of their National Olympic Committees, and from Russia for mass violations of anti-doping rules and, in addition to Belarus, the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in South Sudan</span>

Sports in South Sudan are still not widely recognized internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

One Independent Olympic Athlete competed at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China. The athlete was from South Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Sudan at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

South Sudan competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The South Sudan National Olympic Committee (NOC) was admitted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the 128th IOC Session on 2 August 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudan at the 2016 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Sudan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's eleventh appearance at the Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The Refugee Olympic Team competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016, as independent Olympic participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Sudan at the 2016 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

South Sudan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. South Sudan had been an independent nation since 2011, but its civil war had delayed its membership with the International Olympic Committee until 2015, making 2016 its first official appearance at the Olympic Games. The country was offered three universality placements in athletics, as no South Sudanese athletes met the Olympic qualifying standards prior to the Games. Three athletes, two men and one woman, competed in three track and field events, but did not win any medals. The sole woman, Margret Rumat Hassan, was given a spot eight days prior to the start of the Games that had been allotted previously to Mangar Makur Chuot. This change was against the advice of the South Sudan Athletics Federation and was due allegedly to pressure from Samsung, for whom Hassan had appeared in an advertisement. The flagbearer for both the opening and closing ceremony was Guor Marial, a marathon runner who, then unable to represent South Sudan, had competed as an Independent Olympic Athlete in 2012. Five South Sudanese nationals also competed as members of the Refugee Olympic Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Chiengjiek</span> South Sudanese sprinter

James Nyang Chiengjiek is a runner originally from South Sudan, but now living and training in Kenya. He was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He placed last in his 400 m heat. He was also qualified to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ROT, and placed last in his 800 m heat after tripping due to a fellow competitor's involuntary touch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yiech Biel</span> South Sudanese middle-distance runner

Yiech Pur Biel is a track and field athlete and UNHCR goodwill ambassador originally from Nasir, South Sudan, but now living and training in the United States. He was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team in the 800 m event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He placed last in his heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjelina Lohalith</span> South Sudanese-born track and field athlete

Anjelina Nadai Lohalith is a track and field athlete originally from South Sudan, but now living and training in Kenya. She competed as part of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee Olympic Team</span> Sporting event delegation

The Refugee Olympic Team is a group made up of independent Olympic participants who are refugees. In March 2016, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach announced the creation of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team, as a symbol of hope for all refugees in the world in order to raise global awareness of the scale of the migrant crisis in Europe. In September 2017, the IOC established the Olympic Refuge Foundation to supporting refugees over the long term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Lokonyen</span> South Sudanese-born track and field athlete

Rose Nathike Lokonyen is a track and field athlete from South Sudan, but who later lived and trained in Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athlete Refugee Team</span> Sporting event delegation

The Athlete Refugee Team (ART) is a delegation under which refugee athletes can compete collectively at IAAF competitions. The official IAAF logo was used as the team's flag until 2019. World Athletics collaborated with Kenyan long-distance runner Tegla Loroupe to form the team in 2014 as a short-term response to the growing refugee crisis that left millions of people dislocated or stateless. However, it has since turned into a sort of permanent feature at World Athletics events due to the refugee crisis only worsening. Many of the athletes originate from a variety of nations such as: Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Ethiopia. They include a majority of runners, as well as professional swimmers, material artists, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Islands at the 2020 Summer Olympics</span> Solomon Islands at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo

Solomon Islands competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's participation in Tokyo marked its tenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tachlowini Gabriyesos</span> Eritrean long-distance runner (born 1998)

Tachlowini Melake Gabriyesos is an Eritrean-born long-distance runner. He lives and trains in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he runs with the Emek Hefer club and is supported by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Athlete Scholarship. He has competed over 3000 metres, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, the half marathon, and the marathon. He finished in 16th place at the 2020 Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu</span> Swiss middle- and long-distance runner (born 1998)

Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu is a South Sudanese born middle and long-distance runner who represents Switzerland in international championships. He currently lives and trains in Switzerland and competes for On Running.

References

  1. 1 2 "South Sudan refugee to run marathon in Olympic colours". Sudan Tribune. July 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  2. Castillo, Kaitlin (17 October 2022). "Maker runs towards greatness". 505th Command and Control Wing News. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Reynolds, Tom; Sliney, Noel; Wright, Katie (4 August 2015). "One year to Rio 2016: Five global athletes' Olympic odysseys". bbc.co.uk . Archived from the original on 4 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  4. "London 2012 Olympics: South Sudan's Guor Marial allowed to compete under Olympic flag in London". The Telegraph. 21 July 2012. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  5. Press, Detroit Free. "documentary 'Runner' tells story of refugee who becomes Olympian". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  6. 1 2 3 "BBC Sport – Olympic marathon: Guor Marial, running for the world". BBC News. 2012-07-23. Archived from the original on 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  7. "Guor Marial: An Olympian without a country". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 "Olympian without a country won't march in opening ceremony". USA Today. 27 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 Kors, Joshua (23 July 2012). "Guor Marial: Marathon Runner Flees Sudan, Heads to London Olympics". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  10. "Concord Monitor". www.concordmonitor.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  11. Guor Marial is a marathoner without a country, running under the Olympic flag [ dead link ], Washington Post, August 10, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012
  12. For South Sudan Runner, Country Comes Before Olympics Archived 2012-08-23 at the Wayback Machine , Runner's World, July 20, 2012. Accessed August 12, 2012
  13. "For South Sudanese marathoner, Olympics would be the ultimate refuge". Chicago Tribune. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  14. "IOC Executive Board meets ahead of London Games". Olympic.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  15. "Men's Marathon – Olympic Athletics, London 2012". London 2012. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  16. "'Lost Boy' and 2:12 Marathoner Guor Marial To Become U.S. Citizen". Runners World. February 11, 2013. Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  17. Service, Tribune News. "From refugee to Olympian: The inspirational story of South Sudan's marathon man". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  18. "Rio 2016 Marathon men – Olympic Athletics". International Olympic Committee. 2020-11-14. Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  19. "Former slave, two-time Olympian becomes an Airman". Joint Base San Antonio. Archived from the original on 2018-02-25. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  20. "Airman 1st Class Guor Maker". United States Air Force World Class Athlete Program . Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  21. "Maker runs towards greatness". 505th Command and Control Wing. 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2023-08-07.[ permanent dead link ]
Olympic Games
Preceded by
First
Flagbearer for Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan
2016 Rio de Janeiro
Succeeded by