It was cheering like no one had heard before. As Farida Abaroge sped with grace towards the finish line in her heat of the women’s 1500mon Tuesday, every one of the 80,000 spectators here, one of Europe’s biggest stadiums, exploded into thunderous screams and roars.
“There were so many people, the noise was heavy in my ears, accompanying every movement of my feet,” she said. “This was my first experience of the Stade de France. It is incredible to have run this race here in France, the country that saved my life. The country where I now live. I want to thank all these people who made this dream come true.”
