Ernest Ndjissipou (born 24 September 1972, in Bangui) is a retired Central African long-distance and marathon runner.[1] He represented the Central African Republic in three editions of the Olympic Games (1992, 1996, and 2004), and has also set both a national record and a personal best of 2:18:06 in men's marathon from the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris, France.[2]

Ernest Ndjissipou
Personal information
Nationality Central African Republic
Born (1972-09-24) 24 September 1972 (age 52)
Bangui, Central African Republic
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)Long-distance running, marathon
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)5000 m: 14:24.72 (1993)
Marathon: 2:18:06 (2003)

Career

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Ndjissipou made his official debut as a long-distance runner in the men's 5000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he finished twelfth in the last of four preliminary heats with a time of 14:40.12, trailing behind leader Salvatore Antibo of Italy by one minute and ten seconds.[3]

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ndjissipou extended his track and field resume by competing in the men's marathon. Though he had never experienced road running in a global stage, Ndjissipou managed to claim a ninety-seventh spot successfully in a vast field of a hundred athletes with a time of 2:35:55.[4]

Eight years after competing in his last Olympics, Ndjissipou qualified for his third Central African team, as a 31-year-old, in the men's marathon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens by receiving a berth from the IAAF World Championships in Paris.[2] He finished the race with a forty-fourth place time in 2:21:23, trailing behind Italian runner and gold medalist Stefano Baldini and Brazil's Vanderlei de Lima (whose race had been grappled and pushed off by Irish protester Cornelius Horan) by an estimation of ten seconds.[5] Building his own milestone as a three-time Olympian, Ndjissipou was appointed by the National Olympic Committee (French: Comité National Olympique et Sportif Centrafricain) to carry the Central African flag in the opening ceremony.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ernest Ndjissipou". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Paris 2003: Men's Marathon Final". IAAF. 30 August 2003. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Barcelona 1992: Athletics – Men's 5000m Round 1 (Heat 4)" (PDF). Barcelona 1992. LA84 Foundation. p. 46. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Atlanta 1996: Athletics – Men's Marathon Final" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 121. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Athletics: Men's Marathon Final". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 11 August 2004. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  6. ^ "2004 Athens: Flag Bearers for the Opening Ceremony". Olympics. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
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Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for   Central African Republic
2004 Athens
Succeeded by