Lopez Lomong in the first round of the men's 1500 meter run at the US Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field at University of Oregon in July 2008 |
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lopepe Lomong |
| Full name | Lopez Lomong |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | January 1, 1985 Kimotong, South Sudan |
| Residence | Flagstaff, Arizona |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Track and field athlete |
| Event(s) | 800m, 1500m, Mile |
| Coached by | John Hayes |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 1500 m: 3:32.20 |
Lopez Lomong (born Lopepe Lomong[1]) 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. His real birthdate is January 5, 1985, but like all Lost Boys who came to the United States without paperwork, his official birthday is listed as January 1.[2]
Lomong qualified for 2008 Summer Olympics in the 1500 meters at the United States Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon.[3] He was the flag bearer for the United States during the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Lomong is a member of Team Darfur, a group of athletes urging China to exert pressure on the Sudanese government to address the War in Darfur.
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Lopez Lomong was born Lopepe Lomong in a small village in South Sudan to Awei Lomong and Rita Namana.[4] Lomong was a victim of the Second Sudanese Civil War. A Catholic, he was abducted at age six while attending Catholic Mass and assumed dead by his family and buried in absentia.[4] He nearly died in captivity, but was helped to escape by others from his village. The four of them ran for three days until they crossed the border into Kenya.[4] Lomong spent ten years in a refugee camp near Nairobi before being moved to the United States through Catholic Charities. His name "Lopez" was a nickname from the refugee camp that he later adopted officially. He was inspired to become a runner after watching Michael Johnson at the 2000 Summer Olympics on television.[4]
Lomong is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. He was resettled in the United States in 2001 through Catholic Charities with Robert and Barbara Rogers, in New York State. The Rogers have since gone on to sponsor many other Sudanese refugees. Lomong attended Tully High School in Tully, NY, entering at a 10th grade level. In high school, he helped lead the cross country and track teams to sectional and state titles, and later competed for Northern Arizona University. In 2007, Lomong was the division I NCAA indoor champion at 3000 meters and the outdoor champion at 1500 meters. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States on July 6, 2007.
Although he originally assumed his parents had been killed by the Sudan People's Liberation Army, he was reunited with his mother and family, who now live outside Nairobi, in 2003.[4] He first returned to his native village in December, 2006.[4] He returned to Sudan again in 2008 to open a school, and then in early 2009 to bring his younger brothers, Alex and Peter, back to the United States to attend school at Fork Union Military Academy.[2]
Lomong qualified for the US Olympic Team on July 6, 2008, one year after gaining his US citizenship.[5] "Now I'm not just one of the 'Lost Boys,'" he told reporters. "I'm an American."[6][7]
After his success at the collegiate level, Lopez signed a contract with Nike and now competes professionally. He specializes in the 1500m run but is a serious contender in every mid-distance race from 800m up to and including the 5k. Lopez finished 5th in the 800m finals during the 2008 US Olympic Trials, which he ran as part of his training for the 1500m.[1]
Lomong was chosen by the team captains of the US Olympic team to carry the US flag in the Opening Ceremony at the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, an honor for which he campaigned. The U.S. Olympic team captains said that Lomong deserved the honor of flagbearer because he was so proud of his citizenship.[8]
Lopez is a member of Team Darfur. In the weeks leading up to the Olympics Lomong spoke often about the need to raise awareness for the violence in Darfur. Since his selection as flagbearer he has been careful not to criticize China directly, choosing instead to focus on the inspirational side of his story. "I'm here to compete for my country," Lomong told reporters when they asked questions about human rights. "The Olympics are supposed to bring people together to peacefully blend and I'm looking forward to that and stepping on the track and wearing my colors and representing my country." With reference to China specifically, Lomong answered "Chinese people have been great putting all these things together. It's great being here." [8]
He was eliminated in the semifinals of the 1500 at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Lomong won his first national title when he finished first in the 1500 at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships in 3:41.68. That summer he also finished eighth in the final at the World Athletics Championships. He ran a career best of 3:32.94 that year in the 1500.
In June 2010, Lomong repeated as men's champion by winning the 1500 at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships in a highly tactical race. He ran the final 400 meters of that race in 51.29 seconds.
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dawn Staley |
Flagbearer for United States Beijing 2008 |
Succeeded by - |