The Last Runner
The last runner finished the race more than an hour ____.
“There ____ be no more runners coming,” the officials decided.
They removed the tape at the finish line and started to prepare for the closing ceremony for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics in the ____ States.
Someone shouted, “Look! There comes ____ runner!”
A ____ was just entering the stadium, but there was something wrong with his legs.
____, he kept going toward the finish line.
The band and the volunteers ____ their preparations for the closing ceremony.
All eyes were on the runner.
Suddenly, the band started playing celebration music, and the volunteers ____.
“Go! Go! Go for it!” ____ volunteers ran to the finish line with a tape.
Finally, the runner ran ____ the tape and then fell to the ground.
His ____ was Abdul Baser Wasiqi. He was from Afghanistan.
Reporters came up to Wasiqi and started asking ____ questions.
What happened to ____?
I ____ my leg during a practice run.
The injury got worse ____ the race, but I couldn’t give up.
Why not? You knew that you were too ____ behind to win a medal.
I’m the only athlete here ____ Afghanistan.
There was no way I ____ give up.
Reporter: Afghanistan is still at war, isn’t it?
Yes, we have been at war for 16 ____.
That’s why we were not able to send athletes to the Barcelona Olympics ____ years ago.
I was sad for my country ____ then when I could see no Afghan athletes in the opening ceremony.
Were you ____ marathons then?
No. I ____ running after Barcelona.
I ran in lots of races. Finally I won a marathon in ____.
As a result, I was ____ to come to Atlanta.
How do ____ feel now?
I’m proud of myself and proud to be from ____.
For me and my country, it was important not to ____ up.
I didn’t come here to ____. For me, it was enough to be here and to finish the race.