Former slave to run for South Sudan in Olympic marathon
South Sudanese Olympic athlete Guor Marial may not be a hot medal tip for Sunday's marathon, but the former slave's road to Rio is one of the most astonishing stories of the games.
As a teenager Marial was forced to run for his life during Sudan's long civil war in which he lost 28 members of his family, was kidnapped twice and ended up in servitude.
When he fled Sudan he never wanted to run again because of the traumatic memories, but after arriving in the United States as a refugee his talent was quickly spotted by his teachers.
This month Marial made history when he became the flag-bearer for South Sudan's first ever Olympic team, leading his compatriots Margret Hassan and Santino Kenyi into Rio's Maracana stadium during the opening ceremony.
Rio is Marial's second Olympics, but it is the first in which he can wear his national colours.
In London four years ago he had to compete as an independent under the Olympic flag because South Sudan - which had only gained independence the year before - was unable to send a team.
Marial told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at the time how he dreamed one day of representing his homeland. "I will be wearing the Olympic uniform, but inside I will be holding the South Sudan flag in my heart," he said.
In a recent BBC interview he described his excitement at finally being able to run for his country.
"To stand on the start line wearing a South Sudan vest would be amazing," he said. "A lot of people lost their lives for the freedom of the country we have now. That's what I run for and that's the reason I want to go and represent the flag."
