Who is Eric Moussambani?
No one knew who Eric Moussambani was, there were no media hounding him for interviews, he didn’t win any medals, but Eric showed the world the true spirit of competing, determination and the sincere love and compassion for his sport. From Equatorial Guinea, Eric competed in the Sydney 2000 Olympics and completed the 100m freestyle in 1 minute 52.72 seconds. Not a big deal? Oh, but it was! It was one of those sudden moments that reached out and touched the hearts of everyone watching, and one that we will all remember for years to come.
When it comes to making Olympic history there are a variety of records and statistics that athletes strive to match. However, some who make the journey to the Olympic Games create a different kind of legacy all their own. This was certainly the case for swimmer Eric Moussambani during the 2000 Summer Olympic Games held in Sydney, Australia. Eric Moussambani’s path to the Olympics did not conform to the traditional training methods that most athletes must undergo to qualify for their events. In fact, rather than beginning his training from a young age, the young swimmer from Equatorial Guinea did not take up his sport until eight months before the start of the 2000 Games. His inclusion in the ranks of athletes in Sydney was due to a new program which had been designed to encourage the expansion of sports into developing nations around the world. Thus, Moussambani was not required to meet the minimum qualifications that Olympic participants are generally held to. Instead, he was elected
