Israel's men's running team clinched a gold medal in the team marathon at the European Championships held in the German city of Munich, 50 years after the city saw a terrorist massacre that claimed the lives of 11 Israeli Olympians.
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The winning team comprised Marhu Teferi, Gashau Ayale, Omer Ramon, Yimer Getahun and Girmaw Amare; with the exception of Ramon, all the athletes are Ethiopian Israelis.
The victory has a special emotional resonance in Israel, where the tragic events of five decade ago still occupy a fundamental place in the national consciousness, and a controversy regarding the compensation owed by Germany to the victims' family members still lingers.
On Sept. 5, 1972, eight gunmen broke into the Israeli team's lodgings at the Olympic village, shooting dead two and taking nine Israeli athletes hostage, threatening to kill them unless 232 Palestinian prisoners were released.
West German police responded with a bungled rescue operation in which all nine hostages were killed, along with five of the eight terrorists and a German police officer.
Teferi said, "It's thrilling for me. I can't describe this feeling. This is a special place to compete and we came to represent the country with honor, on German soil. We all know what happened here 50 years ago, it's a great victory for all of us. We wanted the gold in the group marathon, and we did everything to win it."
The Israeli Olympic Committee said: "History in Munich, the Israeli marathon team wins a group gold and Marhu Teferi wins the prestigious silver medal, and Ayale Gashau the bronze. The Olympic Committee congratulates all the Israeli marathoners … for the wonderful achievement at the group and personal levels."
The men's marathon team weren't the only Israeli runners who acquitted themselves well in Munich. Distance runner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter won the bronze medal in the women's 10,000 meter distance, a month after winning the bronze at the World Marathon Championships.
Salpeter, 33, said, "It was a hard race, but I tried to do my best and I'm happy about it. It was tough to do after the marathon at the World Championships, and I believe I managed it."
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