Alain Mimoun

Ali Mimoun Ould Kacha was born in Maïder, French Algeria. Drafted into the French Army during World War II, Mimoun fought with distinction in the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy in January 1944. His left leg was torn open by shrapnel and narrowly escaped amputation thanks to American field surgeons, yet he recovered to take part in the Allied landings in Provence.

After the war, Mimoun dominated French distance running, winning 29 national championships. At the 1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Mimoun earned three silver medals (10,000m in 1948; 5,000m and 10,000m in 1952), finishing second in all three races to the unstoppable Czech champion Emil Zátopek. Rather than feeling bitter, Mimoun and Zátopek formed one of the warmest friendships in sports history.

On 1 December 1956 at the Melbourne Olympics, in blistering 100-degree Fahrenheit (38°C) heat, 35-year-old Mimoun ran the marathon wearing handkerchiefs pinned to his neck and number 13 on his jersey, having learned hours earlier that his daughter Olympe had just been born in France. Surging into the lead at the halfway mark, Mimoun entered the Melbourne Cricket Ground alone to claim Olympic gold. Waiting at the finish line for his friend Zátopek, who finished sixth, Mimoun embraced him and wept as Zátopek snapped a salute and kissed him on the forehead.