Editing Eric Moussambani (section)

== Career ==
Moussambani gained entry to the Olympics without meeting the minimum qualification requirements via a [[wild card (sports)|wildcard]] draw designed to encourage participation by [[developing country|developing countries]] lacking full training facilities. [[Pieter van den Hoogenband]] won in a time of 48.30 seconds (setting a world record of 47.84 in the semi-finals); Moussambani took more than twice that time to finish (1:52.72). "The last 15 metres were very difficult", Moussambani said.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-05-30 |title=WATCH Great Olympic Moments: Eric The Eel Goes Solo |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/30/london-2012-countdown-eric-the-eel_n_1555005.html |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=HuffPost UK |language=en}}</ref> Because the other two swimmers in his heat made false starts and were thus disqualified, he won the heat unopposed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Glendenning |first=Barry |date=2012-01-25 |title=50 stunning Olympic moments No11: Eric Moussambani flails way to glory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/jan/25/olympic-games-eric-eel-moussambani |access-date=2024-08-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Before coming to the Olympics, Moussambani had never seen a {{convert|50|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} [[Olympic-size swimming pool]]. He took up swimming eight months before the Olympics and had practiced in a lake, and later a {{convert|12|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} swimming pool in a hotel in [[Malabo]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-09-20 |title=Olympian from the Equator wins at a crawl |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/equatorialguinea/1356144/Olympian-from-the-Equator-wins-at-a-crawl.html |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=The Telegraph |language=en}}</ref> that he was given access to only between 5 and 6&nbsp;am.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC SPORT {{!}} SWIMMING {{!}} African novice makes big splash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics2000/swimming/931508.stm |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

Moussambani's performance generated spectator and media interest in [[Paula Barila Bolopa]], the only other Equatoguinean swimmer at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]]. Bolopa competed in the women's 50 metres freestyle event, struggling to finish the race with a time of 1:03.97. In setting a record for the slowest time in Olympic history for that event, she also achieved major celebrity status.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cgi.cnnsi.com/olympics/newswire/2000/09/21/1072266015154_afp/ |title=Barila Bolopa paddles her way to Olympic stardom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810223425/http://cgi.cnnsi.com/olympics/newswire/2000/09/21/1072266015154_afp/ |archive-date=10 August 2008 |publisher=Agence France-Presse |date=21 September 2000}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC SPORT {{!}} SWIMMING {{!}} 'Paula the Crawler' sets record |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics2000/swimming/937133.stm |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

In 2001, Moussambani competed in [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 50 metre freestyle|the 50 metres freestyle at the 2001 World Aquatics Championship]] in Fukuoka, Japan, finishing 88th out of 92 athletes. He set a new Equatorial Guinean record for the distance. He was the first male athlete in the nation's history ever to participate in the event.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fina.org/fukuoka_SwimmingResultsDay1.html |title=9th FINA World Swimming Championships:Heats Results Sunday July 22 – Swimming Day 1 |date=22 July 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041024105227/http://www.fina.org/fukuoka_SwimmingResultsDay1.html |archive-date=2004-10-24 |access-date=2010-01-25 |publisher=[[FINA]] |url-status=live }}</ref>

Despite eventually lowering his personal best in the 100 metres freestyle to under 57 seconds,<ref>{{cite news 
| first = Alex
| last = Brown
| title = Struggling to keep himself afloat
| newspaper = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]]
| date = 6 August 2004
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/articles/2004/08/05/1091557999380.html 
| access-date = 31 May 2001
|quote= Despite cutting his personal best for the 100m from 1 minute 52.72 seconds in Sydney to under 57s today, a sponsorless, near-broke Moussambani fears that failure to compete in Athens will force him into retirement.}}
</ref> Moussambani was denied entry into the [[2004 Olympic Games]] due to a [[Visa (document)|visa]] bungle.<ref>
{{cite news
| title = Eric 'the Eel' misses Games
| work = [[BBC Sport]]
| date = 9 August 2004
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/swimming/3545074.stm
| access-date = 31 May 2001
|quote= Eric 'the Eel' Moussambani's chances of competing at the Athens Olympics have been scuppered by problems over his application form. Officials were unable to locate his passport photograph, preventing him from competing for Equatorial Guinea.
}}
</ref> He did not take part in the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{ cite news | title=Famously slow swimmer Eric Moussambani set for Olympic return as Eq. Guinea coach | url=https://news.yahoo.com/famously-slow-swimmer-eric-moussambani-set-olympic-return-202020702--spt.html | date=30 March 2012 }}</ref> In March 2012 he was appointed coach of the national swimming squad of Equatorial Guinea.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticias/eric_moussambani_nuevo_entrenador_del_equipo_nacional_de_natacion |title=Eric Moussambani nuevo entrenador del equipo nacional de natación |publisher=Guinea Ecuatorial Press |date=10 March 2012}}</ref>