Aguida Amaral
Encyclopedia
Águeda Fátima Amaral is an East Timor
ese athlete. She was one of the first athletes to represent East Timor
at the Olympic Games
, when she ran
the marathon
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
. With a time of 3:10:55, she finished 43rd out of the 45 runners who completed the race, although eight other runners failed to finish.
The Associated Press
reported:
The Independent likewise reported that Amaral "completed the course to a standing ovation".
The Sydney Olympics followed East Timor's declaration of independence from Indonesia in 1999, and the ensuing violence
. Amaral had fled her home in Dili
, stayed in a refugee camp, and returned eventually to find it looted and burned. Along with her home and other belongings, her only pair of running shoes had been destroyed in the arson attack. She trained for the Olympics by running barefoot, until shoes were donated to her by Australia
.
CNN described her arrival in the stadium as "the most moving moment" of the race. The New York Times wrote that her "performance in the Sydney Games inspired the world", and described her as "a source of national pride".
Amaral competed again
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, and, with a time of 3:18:25, finished 65th of the 66 runners who completed the marathon - her time over half an hour faster than that of Mongolia
's Luvsanlkhündegiin Otgonbayar.
Amaral is a police officer
, and, as of 2004, has four children.
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
ese athlete. She was one of the first athletes to represent East Timor
Individual Olympic Athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Four athletes from East Timor competed as Individual Olympic Athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.-Results by event:- Weightlifting:Men-References:...
at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, when she ran
Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Women's marathon
The Women's Marathon event at the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on September 24, 2000 in the streets of Sydney, Australia.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Startlist:-Intermediates:...
the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. With a time of 3:10:55, she finished 43rd out of the 45 runners who completed the race, although eight other runners failed to finish.
The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported:
- Not realizing she had one more lap to run, Amaral stopped near the finish line and placed her hands together as she knelt to the track. An official gently informed Amaral she was not done, and she took one more lap to rousing applause.
The Independent likewise reported that Amaral "completed the course to a standing ovation".
The Sydney Olympics followed East Timor's declaration of independence from Indonesia in 1999, and the ensuing violence
1999 East Timorese crisis
The 1999 East Timorese crisis began with attacks by anti-independence militants on civilians, and expanded to general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. The violence erupted after a majority of eligible voters in the population of East Timor chose independence from...
. Amaral had fled her home in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, stayed in a refugee camp, and returned eventually to find it looted and burned. Along with her home and other belongings, her only pair of running shoes had been destroyed in the arson attack. She trained for the Olympics by running barefoot, until shoes were donated to her by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
CNN described her arrival in the stadium as "the most moving moment" of the race. The New York Times wrote that her "performance in the Sydney Games inspired the world", and described her as "a source of national pride".
Amaral competed again
Timor-Leste at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The island nation of East Timor first formally participated in the Olympic Games at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and, with a time of 3:18:25, finished 65th of the 66 runners who completed the marathon - her time over half an hour faster than that of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
's Luvsanlkhündegiin Otgonbayar.
Amaral is a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
, and, as of 2004, has four children.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Competed as an 2000 Olympic Games Athletics at the 2000 Summer OlympicsAt the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, 46 events in athletics were contested, 24 for men and 22 for women. There were a total number of 2134 participating athletes from 193 countries.-Men's events:...Sydney, Australia 43rd 3:10:55 Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Women's marathonThe Women's Marathon event at the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on September 24, 2000 in the streets of Sydney, Australia.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Startlist:-Intermediates:...Representing 2004 Olympic Games Athletics at the 2004 Summer OlympicsAt the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put...Athens, Greece 65th 3:18:25 Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Women's MarathonThe Women's Marathon event at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place on August 22, 2004 in the streets of Athens, Greece. World record holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain started as favourite for the race, and led from the start. However, she was overtaken by Mizuki Noguchi, from Japan and...2005 World Championships 2005 World Championships in AthleticsThe 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...Helsinki, Finland — DNF