Eric Moussambani became an unlikely cult hero at the 2000 Olympics for Equatorial Guinea. Despite not being a strong swimmer, he competed for his country and actually finished the race. Now a swimming coach, his story inspired Equatorial Guinea to build swimming pools and improve their program.
One of the beautiful things about the Olympics is not only the sports being played throughout each event, but the stories that can emerge as a result. The heroes and cult figures that are made and the unique tales that you wouldn't find anywhere else. Several figures have captured the hearts of fans all over the world over the years.
Stars such as Usain Bolt and Simone Biles have been huge favourites with audiences watching both at home and in the venues. One man who became a cult hero for his incredibly unique story is Eric Moussambani. The athlete, who hails from Equatorial Guinea, competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 as a swimmer for his country.
The only issue was the fact that he didn't quite know how to really swim. So, how did he even make it to the event? It's quite the story. The little stories that slipped through the net but make the Olympics so special.
Moussambani Was the Only Equatorial Guinea Swimmer Despite the fact he wasn't really a strong swimmer, Moussambani qualified for the Olympics to represent Equatorial Guinea. He did so because the country put a call out to athletes to take part in the 2000 Olympics for the country and he happened to be the only man who showed up as a swimmer. As a result, they were left with very little choice, but to move forward with the then 22-year-old.
Moussambani had never actually seen a full-sized swimming pool before he took part in the games. His training in preparation for the event consisted of swimming in a hotel's small pool as the country didn't have the proper facilities for him to use while he got into shape for the Olympics. The swimmer didn't even have coaches to help him get ready.
Instead, he coached himself and would swim in rivers and the sea as he worked to prepare. "I trained on my own and I had no swimming experience. The pool was only available from 5am to 6am and I was only able to train for three hours a week.
" His story was as unique as they come, but unfortunately, his underdog background didn't necessarily mean he was going to get his fairytale ending once he actually took part in the Olympics. Moussambani Almost Didn't Finish the Race When he arrived at the Olympics, Moussambani had never actually swam in an Olympic sized swimming pool before. He was immediately out of his comfort zone.
As is protocol, he took part in the qualifying race to start with and while he wasn't expected to progress, he did. In an incredible scene, both of the other swimmers he was competing against ended up being disqualified, so all he had to do was complete the event and he was through. That was easier said than done, though, for the star who hadn't been able to properly train and he almost didn't make it to the end.
In fact, at one point, he had to grab onto the lane rope that was used to separate each lane. This was to prevent himself from going underwater. Nicknamed E'ric the Eel' and with the crowd firmly behind him, he managed to finish the race eventually, with a time of one minute and 52 seconds.
Speaking on the moment , he revealed what was going through his head at the time. "I knew that the whole world was watching me - my family, my country, my mother, my sister and my friends. That’s why I was telling myself that I had to keep going, that I had to finish, even if I was alone in the pool.
I wasn’t worried about the time. All I wanted to do was finish." Eventually Moussambani got his race time down to less than a minute, but never competed in the Olympic games again.
He did do wonders for his country, though, and his inclusion has helped take swimming to whole new heights in Equatorial Guinea. Moussambani is Now a Swimming Coach for Equatorial Guinea While Moussambani never competed at the Olympics again after 2000, he did land a role working with his country in the athletics department. In 2012, he was hired to become the coach of the Equatorial Guinea national swimming squad.
Since then, they've only competed in swimming at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and are absent from the Paris 2024 Olympics . Still, since his rise to fame, Moussambani's country have built two swimming pools for athletes to use and the country has made some serious strides forward with swimming..
