Yemane Negassi

Yemane Negassi was an Eritrean cyclist who represented Ethiopia during the 1960s. Negassi began cycling when he was 14-years-old, renting a bike for several hours at a time as he was not able to afford to buy one. Early in his career he competed in several local races, often with his friend Fisihasion Ghebreyesus, earning funds to eventually buy his own bike. After not being selected to ride at the 1964 Ethiopian Championships, Negassi and his friends eventually raised enough money to allow him to compete, winning the 250 km race. After an initial mix-up of not including Negassi on the Olympic team for the 1964 Games, he was later selected to go to Tokyo, where he placed 26th in the team time trial with his compatriots.

Negassi continued to race in events, winning the 1967 Eritrea National Championships. This resulted in another selection for the Olympics, with him once again finishing 26th in the team time trial at the Mexico City Games. For most of the next decade there were very few cycling competitions in the country due to political tensions, although races did resume on a more regular basis in 1979. By then, however, Negassi was near the end of his career, with him eventually retiring in 1981. He then worked as an adviser to the Eritrean national team and served as the President of the Cycling Federation of the Central Region of Eritrea for ten years.