South Sudan honours country’s top athlete and beauty queen - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

September 1, 2012 (JUBA) – Guor Marial, the South Sudanese marathon runner who participated at the London 2012 Olympic Games as an independent athelete, was on Friday honoured by the South Sudanese government.


Guor Marial outside the Olympic Village in London the day after running in the London 2012 marathon. 13 August 2012 (Tom Law/ST)

Marial, fled from South Sudan’s Unity State during the civil war sought asylum in the United States of America. He was unable to represent South Sudan as the year-old nation does not have an Olympic Committee so was invited to run as an Independent Olympic Athlete.

During the London world Olympic Games last month the young South Sudanese received extensive media coverage due to his inspirational story. His participation seemed unlikely at first as he turned down the opportunity to run for Sudan. Marial’s press coverage led the International Olympic Committee to grant him special status so he could compete.

Marial came a respectable 47th out of a field of over a hundred with a time of 2:19:32, which way over his personal best as he was at the wrong stage of his training cycle due to his last minute entry to the Games.

The day after his race Marial told Sudan Tribune that he "wished it was a race [he] had prepared for. That would have been much better" but added that in this case finishing was "just as important" as it put the young nation on the international sporting map for the first time.

Despite wearing the Olympic colours Marial wore a bead-woven bracelet bearing the flag of South Sudan during his participation in the London games. Now aiming for the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016 Marial hopes to run wearing the national colours of South Sudan.

Marial believes that had he rained and prepared properly he could have finished in the top ten positions.

On Friday the South Sudan’s cabinet resolved to honour and support the young athlete for the next games as well encourages others with various talents in sports to develop such promising talents.

Minister of Information and official spokesman of the government, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, told Sudan Tribune that the government was ready to receive Marial should he decide to visit the country in the near future.

Marial also added that another achievement which brought smile on the faces of South Sudanese is the fact that Atong Demach, a young lady from Jonglei state, has came 4th in this year’s Miss World Contest in China, coming first among the nations from African.


Miss World contestent, South Sudan’s Atong Demach, poses for a photo as she waits backstage prior to a rehearsal for the final ceremony at the Ordos Stadium Arena in the inner Mongolian city of Ordos on August 17, 2012. (Getty)

Miss Atong, who is currently in Juba, will hold the position for one year after which another beauty contest shall take place. Minister Marial said the cabinet resolved to present her with a prize in recognition of her achievement.

He said the government is proud of the two young talented South Sudanese for helping putting the young nation on the world map.

(ST)

View the story "Guor Marial “Runner Without a Country”" on StorifyGuor Marial “Runner Without a Country”Guor Marial fled Sudan aged 8 during the civil war, eventually settling in the US. In 2012 he became one of the stories of the London Olympics, competing as an independent athlete rather than for Sudan or newly independent South Sudan. His inspirational life story is being made into a documentary.Storified by Sudan Tribune· Mon, Mar 11 2013 16:53:16

In March 2013 filmmaker Bill Gallagher announced that he is making a documentary about Guor’s extraodrinary life story.
Below is the timeline of Guor Marial’s preparation and participation in the London 2012 Olympics.

’Lost Boy’ Hopes to Run Under Olympic FlagSouth Sudanese marathoner Guor Marial is trying to run in London under the Olympic flag; attorney and agent Brad Poore is trying to help ...In the run-up to the Olympics it appeared as if Guor’s lack of citizenship in any nation would prevent him from competing at London 2012.
South Sudan marathoner is an Olympian without a country(CNN) — Even though he will not compete in the London Olympics under his country’s flag, South Sudan native Guor Marial basks with pride...For South Sudanese marathoner, Olympics would be the ultimate refugeIOC can do the right thing by opening Olympic race to Guor Marial, a man who ran for his life If the ideals of the Olympics as expressed ...The Marathoner Without a CountryGuor Marial is an elite marathoner without an Olympic team. Or at least that’s the way it looks so far.But after considerable media coverage and lobbying, on July 21 the International Olympic Committee decided that Guor could run as an independent athlete. The statement on the IOC’s website said:"The EB also approved a request to allow marathon runner Guor Marial to compete in the London 2012 Games as an Independent Olympic Athlete (IOA) under the Olympic flag. Marial was born in what is now South Sudan, which does not currently have a recognised National Olympic Committee. The athlete, who does not hold a passport from any country, is a permanent resident (refugee status green card) of the United States but not a citizen. As such, he is unable to compete for the United States, South Sudan or Sudan. Marial qualified for the Games with an A Standard time on 2 October 2011."IOC Executive Board meets ahead of London GamesPettigrew, Cox cases In the case of Antonio Pettigrew ( US, athletics), participant in the men’s 400m race (7th place) and the 4x400m men...In an interview with the Huffington Post after the announcement Guor describes how he was willing to give up on the chance to compete at the Olympics, after he had turned down an offer to represent Sudan, from which South Sudan separated in July 2011.
Guor Marial: Marathon Runner Flees Sudan, Heads to London OlympicsGuor Marial was prepared to sacrifice his Olympic dreams. The South Sudanese marathon runner swept through the 26.2 miles of Minneapolis’...South Sudanese Olympian to compete ’without flag’katrinamuIn these weeks he was conducting three to four interviews a day, even responding to interview requests at 2am and 5am local time in his home of Flagstaff, Arizona.Guor Marial: Olympic Athlete and Resident of Flagstaff, AZ - Office of Congressman Paul GosarrepgosarGuor Miral: Meet The Olympian Without A Country | Olympics | TIME.comIf Olympic marathoner Guor Marial wins the gold medal on the Aug. 12, he’ll proudly stand atop the podium, while an anthem plays over the...South Sudanese refugee to run Olympic marathon as an independentUS-based Guor Marial has won the right to compete as a stateless athlete after refusing to compete under Sudan’s flag A refugee from Suda...First Person: Guor Marial, Olympic RunnerassociatedpressAn Interview with South Sudanese Marathoner Guor MarialKeep updated on the latest in outdoor adventure with Outside Magazine’s outdoor adventure blog.Marial arrived in London too late to participate in the opening ceremony.
London 2012: Olympic Marathon runner escapes child slaverysntvonlineLondon Olympics: Guor Marial is loneliest of long-distance runnersLONDON — The Olympian without a country is not without a budget. Guor Marial shows up for an interview at the Olympic village dressed in...The marathon man with no team - Al Jazeera BlogsThey say it’s lonely being a marathon runner. But Guor Marial is in danger of being the loneliest of them all. He’s the man with official...Ahead of his race Guor told the world’s press he was running to represent the world:
Olympic marathoner Guor Marial is South Sudan’s symbol of hope | David Epstein | SI.comThree weeks ago, Guor Marial was not on the invite list for the London Olympics. He had done his part. He’d made the Olympic A qualifying...Refugee marathon runner Guor Marial competes ’for whole world’ at 2012 OlympicsitnnewsThe runner representing the worldLast updated at 15:06 GMT Guor Marial will not be representing a country when he takes part in the men’s Olympic marathon at 11:00 BST on...Olympics: Refugee runs for world, family walk 50km to seeafpMarathoner is running under the Olympic flagLONDON (AP) - Smiling, Guor Marial rubbed his hand across the five Olympic rings on the sleeve of his new white jacket.He’s the Olympic m...Marathoner is a man without a country, so he runs for the worldLONDON - The command was a simple one, the kind every 17-year-old kid hears in gym class in those hours that aren’t filled with kickball ...South Sudanese Running Olympic MarathonassociatedpressStateless Runner Fled War in SudanLONDON-In the athletes’ village here, Guor Marial has no pins to trade or teammates to hang with at the nearby Westfield mall. The 28-yea...Then on August 12th, the last day of Games it was time for Guor to race against the world’s best athletes...
Guor Marial running for the Independent Olympic Athletes (IOA).Sid the Kid2010Guor MarialSteve_CGuor Marial in the Men’s Marathon at the Olympics 2012dezainurArata Fujiwara (Japan), Rui Pedro Silva (Portugal), Guor Marial (Independent Olympic Athlete), Lusapho April (South Africa), Ryan Hall & Abdihakem Abdirahman (USA) - London 2012 Men’s Marathonmattk1979Guor was cheered on by the South Sudanese community in London.
South Sudanese fansmAL5kSUbV3qtVYpiPmVq0wOlympic independent athlete Guor Marialmisund007Guor MARIAL, Jose Amado GARCIAcdephotosWhich country is "IOA"?nickleics"Which country is "IOA"?"... This photographer was clearly a little confused at who Guor was running for!
Independent Olympic Athlete Guor MarialSomething For KateHe completed the marathon in 2 hours 19 minutes and 32 seconds.Guor Marial (Independant Olympic Athlete) - London 2012 Men’s Marathonmattk1979Guor came 47th out a field of over 100 athletes.
Guor MarialIbrahim_DMarial insisted that for him the heat was "not a factor" but admitted he had been under prepared due to his last minute inclusion and the fatigue of the intense media interest in his story.
Guor Marial, Independent Olympic AthleteSuede BicycleAfter the race Guor spoke to Sudan Tribune about the experience of running in London and what it meant to him as a refugee representing the people of South Sudan and all stateless people around the world.
Guer Marial, South Sudan’s first OlympianGuer Marial, the marathon runner who competed under the Olympic flag as he is stateless having fled the Sudanese civil war when he was 8 ...South Sudan’s first Olympic athlete captures imagination of London 2012 - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on SudanBy Tom Law August 13, 2012 (LONDON) - Guor Marial, South Sudan’s first Olympian, has not just inspired a generation, the theme of the Lon...

In February 2013 Guor’s application to become a US citizen was finally approved:

Word that @GuorMarial will become an American citizen in two weeks. Hot damn. Read about this amazing American: http://bit.ly/marialspeaksJoshua KorsInspirational Friday - Celebrated with Guor Marial, Olympic marathoner from S. Sudan as he became a US citizen. Go Guor!Nicky WalkerThank you very much for all my friends and families who came to my citizenship ceremony and those who kept me in their prayers. It was such a great experience. Also, a lot of thank you from bottom of my heart to U.S. Senator Shaheen and her staffs for all the hard work and time they put into this process. I believe it would have not been possible without their support. I feel bless to know these amazing individuals. Also, it’s an honor to be a New Hampshire and very honor to be an American. In addition, I have been known as Guor Marial for such a long time, but my name is now officially Guor Miading MiakerGuor Marial - South Sudanese Olympic Marathon RunnerGuor Marial, Sudan Refugee, Runs In The Olympics Without A Country, With A Cause http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/sudan-refugee-runs-withou_n_1734090.html?utm_hp_ref=good-newsBeaverton HomesThe Film “Runner Without a Country”, was officially announced in March 2013.
A documentary about South Sudanese athlete, Guor Marial, is being made this year. For more information see this link. Spread the word...Sudan TribuneGuor Marial: Once A #Runner Without A Country - http://velonews.competitor.com http://www.pacepermile.com/news.php?news=89259Pace Per MileRay Duckler: From marathoner to citizen to film star, Guor Marial just keeps going – Concord Monitor: Ray Duck... http://bit.ly/MUlfzXOlympics NewswireNew U.S. Elite Guor Marial Bears Lessons of Difficult Upbringing http://dlvr.it/342k69Runner’s World NewsThe film is being made by Bill Gallagher:
Bill Gallagher (MrBillGallagher) on TwitterThe latest from Bill Gallagher (@MrBillGallagher). Documentary Filmmaker Directing the film RUNNER WITHOUT A COUNTRY about Guor Marial, w...

And finally... Some background links on Guor Marial.

Guor Marial - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaGuor Marial (born 15 April 1984) is a South Sudanese track and field athlete. He is a Dinka tribesman. Marial competed in the men's...Guor Marial - London 2012Guor Marial | FacebookGuor Marial, Flagstaff, AZ. 520 likes · 1 talking about this.5 Things You Should Know About Me: Guor Marial | NYRR http://www.nyrr.org/newsroom/nyrr-news-service/5-things-you-should-know-about-me-guor-marialKen Parker