Miruts Yifter won Olympic gold in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres at the 1980 Moscow Games.
The Ethiopian distance runner won the 10,000 metres on 27 July 1980 and the 5,000 metres on 1 August. He was known internationally by the nickname “Yifter the Shifter,” referring to his powerful finishing acceleration. His victories made Ethiopia the first nation to win both men's Olympic track distance titles at the same Games.
Yifter's 1980 double is sometimes confused with the achievements of Finland's Lasse Virén, who completed the same Olympic double in 1972 and 1976. Mo Farah later repeated the feat for Great Britain in 2012 and 2016. Yifter's Moscow victories came during a period when several countries boycotted the Games, but the Olympic results remain official.