President Bush shakes hands with runner, Lopez Lomong.
Lopez Lomong was taken from his parents at gunpoint when he was just 6 years old. He was held by a militia faction and trained as a soldier until he escaped at the age of 14. He spent the next 10 years in a refugee camp until he was accepted into a program to relocate refugees to the United States. Lomong resettled in New York and attended Northern Arizona University. In 2007 he competed at the NCAA track & field championships and also became a U.S. citizen.
Lomong was chosen as flagbearer for the USA Olympic Team in the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing, China. He will compete in the 1,500-meter race later this week. In his bio, Lomong reveals what he would do if he reached the medal podium. "I would hold an American flag and a Sudan flag. It would be a way to say, ‘Here was a victim who had to run away, and look where he is now.’"
Photo: Getty Images
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