Robel Teklemariam
Encyclopedia
Robel Zeimichael Teklemariam (born September 16, 1974) is an Ethiopia
n cross country skier who has competed since 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 83rd in the 15 km event at Turin
in 2006
.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo, Teklemariam finished 74th in the individual sprint and 104th in the 15 km event.
His best career finish was 25th in a lesser event at 15 km race in Switzerland
in January 2010.
Although he has lived in the United States
since the age of 9, he has founded and heads the Ethiopian National Skiing Federation, and still speaks fluent Amharic
.
He has said that without the financial help of Ethiopians abroad, he would not have made it to February's games in Italy. He also admitted that he had no chance of winning medals in either event he has entered in, Alpine
and Cross country skiing. "I'm a realist. My goals are for further down the road. I want this Olympics to open my eyes and hopefully the eyes of other Ethiopians."
Robel Teklemariam has four other brothers. One (Nahom) in Los Angeles, California
and three (Natan,Yoshef,Beniam,Moses) in Richmond,VA.
He is a 1997 graduate of the University of New Hampshire
.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n cross country skier who has competed since 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 83rd in the 15 km event at Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in 2006
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo, Teklemariam finished 74th in the individual sprint and 104th in the 15 km event.
His best career finish was 25th in a lesser event at 15 km race in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in January 2010.
Although he has lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since the age of 9, he has founded and heads the Ethiopian National Skiing Federation, and still speaks fluent Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
.
He has said that without the financial help of Ethiopians abroad, he would not have made it to February's games in Italy. He also admitted that he had no chance of winning medals in either event he has entered in, Alpine
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...
and Cross country skiing. "I'm a realist. My goals are for further down the road. I want this Olympics to open my eyes and hopefully the eyes of other Ethiopians."
Robel Teklemariam has four other brothers. One (Nahom) in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and three (Natan,Yoshef,Beniam,Moses) in Richmond,VA.
He is a 1997 graduate of the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
.