Swedish distance runner Abeba Aregawi has spoken of her disappointment that remarks she made about homosexuality overshadowed her 1,500m gold medal performance in Moscow in August.
The Ethiopia-born athlete refused to participate in the rainbow protest because of her religious beliefs at the World Championships last month. However, she has now said that she feels nobody really celebrated her gold because of what she said at a press conference.
Twenty-three-year-old Aregawi was born in Ethiopia but has been a citizen of Sweden since last year. She won gold in the women’s 1,500m event in Moscow, but the actions of sprinter Moa Hjelmer and high jumper Emma Green Tregaro, both of whom painted their fingernails in the rainbow colours to support gay rights, gained more headlines.