Eric Moussambani | |
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Nazionalità | ![]() |
Altezza | 197 cm |
Peso | 67 kg |
Nuoto ![]() | |
Specialità | 100 m sl |
Eric Moussambani Malonga (Malabo, 31 maggio 1978) è un nuotatore equatoguineano.
Soprannominato "Eric the Eel" ("Eric l'anguilla") dai media anglofoni[1] o "El Multiusos" dai media ispanofoni[2], partecipò ai Giochi Olimpici di Sydney del 2000 come unico nuotatore della sua nazione nella gara dei 100 metri uomini stile libero. Moussambani riuscì a concludere la gara con un tempo di 1'52"72, cioè più del doppio del tempo medio degli altri nuotatori olimpionici.[1][3] Tuttavia la performance sportiva, ormai passata alla storia, è considerata come un esempio degli ideali del Comitato Olimpico Internazionale.[4]
«Moussambani would plough a lonely lane for his finest 1mins 52.7 sec, though it felt like an hour. Equatorial Guinea’s aquatic answer to Eddie the Eagle - Eric the Eel - churned the lane in which Ian Thorpe had raced to a silver medal in 1 min 45 sec over double the distance the day before.»
«Spectators at the Aquatic Centre were treated to an Olympic champion of a different sort when Eric Moussambani, a 22-year-old from Equatorial Guinea took to the pool for the 100 m freestyle, his first ever attempt at this distance. The only pool available for training in his country was only 20 m long. After two other athletes had been disqualified for false starts, he became the sole competitor in his heat – and completed the race. Though he showed signs of fatigue in the last 20 m, Moussambani made a valiant effort to struggle to the finish line. The audience responded with a standing ovation. The newly named Eric the Eel left the pool glowing with pride, thanking the crowd for getting him through the race. In many ways his swim exemplified the ideals so strongly advocated by the IOC at the Peace Symposium.»