The Coach and the Barefoot Runner
Svensken och barfotalöparen
On a warm night in Rome 1960 a barefoot runner from Ethiopia, Abebe Bikila, won the Olympic marathon race. From one moment to another Bikila, the son of a shepherd, became the most famous black African in the world. Behind the victory was the Swedish coach Onni Niskanen. He came to Ethiopia in 1946 and stayed for almost four decades. This is the story about the unlikely friendship between two men from different parts of the world. Together they achieved unparalleled success. But also faced revolutions and tragedy.