ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 26 (UPI) -- The 2013 Boston Marathon winner told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry he will present his medal to the city to honor victims of the finish-line bomb attack.
Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia crossed the finish line in downtown Boston April 15 well ahead of the two blasts that killed three spectators and left more than 250 people injured.
Desisa, speaking through an interpreter at a ceremony in Addis Ababa Sunday attended by Kerry, said it was "a great honor" to be at the podium and to be afforded the opportunity to pay tribute to the bombing victims.
He said his "joy turned to sorrow" upon learning of the carnage caused by the explosion.
"As a gesture of my solidarity with the victims of this senseless act of violence, I will return to Boston and gift my medal to the people of Boston in honor and in memory of those who suffered and those who died on that day, like 8-year-old Martin Richard," the winning runner said.
"My message to all of you this morning is that sport should always be a source of pleasure and enjoyment, healthy recreation, positive competition. Sport holds the power to unify people and to connect people from all over the world with one another, allowing them the opportunity to share in their common humanity and to celebrate the richness of our world's cultural diversity. Sport should never be used as a battleground.
"On behalf of my fellow citizens of Ethiopia, on behalf of my entire team, my coach, my manager, my fellow teammates, we commit ourselves to sport and we promise that next year in 2014 we will return to Boston to show the world that our commitment to sport, our commitment to our freedom, is stronger than any act of violence."
He offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the victims' families and his wishes for the injured to "recover fully and quickly."
Following a moment of silence at the U.S. Embassy in memory of the Boston victims as part of his official visit to Ethiopia, Kerry called Desisa's gesture "absolutely extraordinary."
"In a gesture of solidarity, these runners have come here today to pay their respects to Boston, to the injured, to the marathon itself," Kerry said. "And I'm so honored that Lelisa has decided that he is going to give his winner's medal to the city of Boston to honor all those who were injured and killed, and most of all, who are getting better."
Kerry noted the great success Ethiopian men and women have had competing in the Boston Marathon and mentioned that the 23-year-old Desisa had only run one other marathon.
