Lucien Rosa
{{short description|Sri Lankan track and field athlete}}
{{MedalTableTop|sport= Men's athletics|country_code=SRI|medals=
{{Medal|Competition|Asian Games}}
{{Medal|Gold |1970 Bangkok|5000 m}}
{{Medal|Gold |1970 Bangkok|10,000 m}}
{{Medal|Bronze|1966 Bangkok|5000 m}}
{{Medal|Bronze|1966 Bangkok|10,000 m}}
}}
Sellappuliyage Lucian Benedict Rosa (better known as SLB Rosa, born February 11, 1944) is a Sri Lankan former long-distance runner. He represented Sri Lanka at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany.{{Cite web |url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2015/11/22/spo31.asp |title=SLB Rosa: Sri Lanka's bare-footed wonder boy |access-date=2016-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122094044/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2015/11/22/spo31.asp |archive-date=2015-11-22 |url-status=live }}[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418005510/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/lucien-rosa-1.html Lucien Rosa]. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2016-04-30. He is best known for running barefooted and winning a 5000 metres and the 10,000 metres double at the 1970 Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand. His performance in 10,000 metres was also an Asian Games record.
At the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1966, he won the bronze medal in both 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. His personal best performance in the 10,000 metres, 29:18.0 minutes, still stands as the Sri Lankan national record since 1975. Born in Kandy, Rosa started his athletic career at Roman Catholic School, Ampitiya. Later he joined the Army and continued to pursue athletics. He led the Sri Lankan team in the 1972 Olympics but could not compete in the 1976 edition due to Sri Lanka boycotting the Montreal Olympics.{{cite web|url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=31519|title=The Island|publisher=}} He was in Ceylon Olympic squad in 1968 but country sent only a three-man team, which did not include Lucian, to Mexico due to financial difficulties.{{Cite web|url=http://www.letsrun.com/news/2016/08/untold-story-lucian-rosa-university-wisconsin-parkside-star-denied-chance-1976-olympic-marathon/|title=The Untold Story of Lucian Rosa - University of Wisconsin-Parkside Star Denied Chance in 1976 Olympic Marathon|date=20 August 2016}}
Rosa is a University of Wisconsin–Parkside Hall of Famer, and a men's cross-country and track coach from 1977-2007.{{cite web |url=http://www.parksiderangers.com/news/2013/10/10/MXC_1010134900.aspx |title=University of Wisconsin Parkside Rangers - Rangers Host Lucian Rosa Invite |website=www.parksiderangers.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017144216/http://www.parksiderangers.com/news/2013/10/10/MXC_1010134900.aspx |archive-date=2015-10-17}} {{Cite web|url=http://www.parksiderangers.com/sports/2008/9/24/HOF_0924081807.aspx|title=Hall of Fame Members}} Lucian Rosa Invitational is named after him.
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External links
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{{Footer Asian Games Champions 5000 metres Men}}
{{Footer Asian Games Champions 10000 metres Men}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosa, Lucien}}
Category:Sportspeople from Kandy
Category:Sri Lankan male long-distance runners
Category:Olympic athletes for Sri Lanka
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Sri Lanka
Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for Sri Lanka
Category:Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 Asian Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 Asian Games
Category:Sri Lankan Roman Catholics
Category:Medalists at the 1966 Asian Games
Category:Medalists at the 1970 Asian Games
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