Ethiopian Athletics News - Ethiopian News

July 8, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- The IAAF Diamond League men’s 5000 meters race in Lausanne did not go well for Ethiopian athlete Hagos Gebrihwet. While leading the pack to the finish line, he decalred victory prematurely one lap short.

Apparently, Hagos thought he ran the last lap and stopped with his hands up the air, thinking he won.

Upon realizing that the competition was not over, he started sprinting back into the race. But, by then, others started passing him by. He finished 10th when all was said and done.

It is unknown how Hagos Gebrihwet, an experienced athlete, missed the lap count.

In the video footage, commentat

April 10, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- Three years after winning a silver medal for his country at the Rio 2016 Olympics, 29-year-old Feyisa Lilesa has been feted by Abiy’s government. Feyisa caught the world’s attention after winning silver medal and then crossing his wrists in protest of Ethiopian government’s crackdown on Oromos.

He did so in solidarity with the protests that were going on in the Oromo region since November 2015. When interviewed by the press following the gesture, Feyisa said: “the Ethiopian government is killing my people so I stand with all the protests anywhere as Oromo is my tribe.”

The Oromo, which is t

November 5, 2018 - Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia won the men's marathon race in New York, USA, in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 59 seconds, according to NPR report.

This is his first win in New York marathon.

"This is my dream," Desisa, 28, said after the race, according to the Associated Press reported. I wanted "to be a champion."

Born in Shewa zone, Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, Lelisa Desisa made his breakthrough on to the senior international scene at road races in 2010.

He won the Boston marathon twice, in 2013

October 21, 2018 - Feyisa Lilesa, the famed Ethiopian marathon runner, returns home. He was in exile in the USA since 2016.

Feyisa made global headlines with anti-government gesture at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

As he was finishing second during the marathon run, he held his arms over his head, wrists crossed, in solidarity with protesters at home.

He subsequently sought asylum in the United States, and has been living there since, joined by his family later.

Feyisa was received by Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu, his family and friends and fans at Bole International Airport.

According to Al Jaze

January 28, 2018 - Ethiopian athlete Samuel Tefera broke the world U20 indoor 1500m record with a world-leading 3:36.05 time. Tefera was competing in the first indoor race of his burgeoning career. But his youth and relative inexperience proved no barrier as he comfortably beat 2012 world indoor champion and 2015 world bronze medallist Abdalaati Iguider.

The Ethiopian crossed the line in 3:36.05 to take 0.23 off the previous world U20 indoor record set by Belal Mansoor Ali in 2007. Iguider, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, finished second in 3:36.87 with fellow Moroccan Brahim Kaazouzi taking third in a PB of 3:37.15.

Source:- IA

January 26, 2018 - Two Ethiopian Athletes set new records in the annual Dubai Marathon. In the men’s race Mosinet Geremew set a new Dubai Marathon record when he sprinted clear from a large group of his compatriots to claim victory in the 10th fastest time over the distance on Friday.The 25-year-old crossed the line in two hours and four minutes exactly, two seconds ahead of Leul Gebresilase with last year's winner Tamirat Tola a further four seconds adrift as Ethiopians filled the first 10 places.

Similarly, in the women's race Roza Dereje finished the distance in 2:19:17, also a new record and personal best for

November 20, 2017 - Ethiopia’s athletes Berhanu Legese and reigning Olympic 10,000 metre champion Almaz Ayana won the respective elite men’s and women’s races at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon held in india. 

Legese, who won the 2015 edition of the ADHM, clocked 59:46 minutes followed by fellow Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu and American Leonard Korir, who completed their races in 59:51 and 59:52 minutes respectively.

“I can’t express the happiness in words,” said an ecstatic Legese after the race.

The elite international women’s category saw a complete domination from the Eth

August 13, 2017 - Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) and Gishen Pharmacy downplayed a recent report by the British newspaper The Guardian entitled “Inside the doping hotspot of Ethiopia dodgy testing and EPO over the counter” which was based on its recent investigation that revealed “how easy it is to obtain doping products, uncovers disorganization at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency and catches leading Ethiopian athlete admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugs”. 

In the wake of the IAAF World Championships in London, the UK based newspaper has reported that its investigators have found out that doping products

August 6, 2017 - The friendly match between Ethiopian and Zambian national teams ended scoreless. The scoreless match was meant to prepare both teams for their respective Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) Kenya 2018 final round qualifiers.

After this match, Ethiopia faces Sudan in the Central-East Zone while Zambia takes on South Africa in their respective zone.

Walias’ Starting 11:
Goalkeeper: Jemal Tassew (Dire Dawa Kenema)
Defenders: Anteneh Tesfaye (Dire Dawa Kenema), Aschalew Tamene (Kedus Giorgis), Abdul Karim Mohammed (Kedus Giorgis) and Desta Yohannes (Hawassa Kenema)
Midfilede

August 6, 2017 - Ethiopian Almaz Ayana won the 10,000 metres at the World Championships on Saturday, finishing around 300 metres ahead of her rivals, reports Reuters.

The Olympic champion began pulling away from the field after 10 laps, sweeping past back markers who were made to look sluggish in comparison.

She finished in 30:16.32 seconds, well outside the world record she set when she won in Rio last year but still enough to win by an astonishing 46.37 seconds, by far the biggest margin in championship history.

Ayana's compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba, the former world and Olympic champion, added

July 29, 2017 - Ethiopian Police are searching for an athlete who punched and injured his Coach’s eye after learning that he was not selected for the London world championship.  The Athlete, Chala Beyo, ran for Ethiopia in the 3,000 meters steeplechase at last year’s Olympics. He didn’t qualify for the finals this time.

Commenting on the case, Sileshi Bisrat, Ethiopian Athletics Federation spokesman says the 21-year-old steeplechase runner, punched coach Yohannes Mohammed when the team was announced.

The coach needed medical treatment for an injured left eye, and Sileshi says police are searching for the runner.

Sileshi al

July 26, 2017 - The Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) announced a 40-member team that will represent the country at the 16th edition of the IAAF World Championships scheduled to take place next month in London, UK, according to FBC report.

The long-distance runner and current world and Olympic records holder in both 5,000m and 10,000m events, Kenenisa Bekele, excluded himself from the selection due to current form.

“I’m not fit enough to compete at the event,” Kenenisa was quoted by the EAF as saying.

List of Athletes named to represent Ethiopia:

●   800m (men) - 1. Mohammed Aman 2.

July 16, 2017 - Ethiopian athletes, Nberet Melesa and Bodena Toles won the World Under-18 Championships 800m distance run held in Kenya, coming in first and second, respectively.  "We had planned to stay ahead of the pack but it seems the Ethiopians were stronger than us," said Kibiwott, a Kenyan athlete who won the bronze medal .

Kenya failed to secure any victory on the penultimate day of the championships on Saturday, winning one silver and three bronze medals. Dominic Samson started the day with the historic bronze medal in the boys' 10,000m race walk as Mpoke Moitalel went for boys' 400m hurdles silver.

July 15, 2017 - The Ethiopian athlete, Abersh Minsewo, won the  World U18 Championships, 3,000m race, finishing in nine minutes 24.62 seconds to overcome Kenya's title hopeful Emmaculate Chepkurui who was just seven hundredths of a second behind the winner  

"The race was fantastic and I was confident I would win with one lap to go. However it was a tactical race because of the rains and I think that is why I failed to lower my personal best," said the Ethiopian athlete.

Chepkirui, the U20 world 5,000m silver medalist admitted she was disappointed.

"I really wanted to win gold for Kenya at home and had p

June 25, 2017 - Running in very hot conditions, Ethiopia's Lencho Tesfaye and Belaynesh Tsegaye triumphed Vidovdan Road Race 10km, an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race, in Brcko, Bosnia and Hercegovina, on Saturday (24) evening.

Until the fifth kilometre, the lead group of four remained tight, but at the start of the sixth, you could clearly see that Tesfaye was handling the heat better than others. Making a break, he built a substantial advantage of some fifty meters over Derara Desalegn Hurisa, a lead he kept through the final kilometre when he began to accelerate when it was clear he would be the winner in Brcko.

"I knew it would be hard,&qu

April 24, 2017 - Kenya's Mary Keitany broke world record to win the London Marathon on Sunday, while her compatriot Daniel Wanjiru also seized glory over the 26.2-mile distance, according to reports.

Keitany finished in two hours, 17 minutes and one second, dominating the rest of the field. Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba and Aselefech Mergia came in second and third, respectively.

Meanwhile, Wanjiru held off a late rally from the legendary Ethiopian runner, Kenenisa Bekele, posting a mark of 2:05:49. Kenya's Bedan Karoki took third.

Below are the top finishers from one of the world's mo

March 6, 2017 - More than 90,000 residents of Addis Ababa display their support to the GERD project by taking part in the Grand Renaissance Dam running race held Sunday in the capital, according to ENA.

The 6km running was organized in connection to the 6th anniversary of the GERD and International Women's Day.

According to the organizers, the number of people participated in the race exceeded the plan by 30,000.

In addition from Addis Ababa the 6km running race has conducted in a number of towns across the country.

In the regional state of SNNP alone, more than 350,000 people have take part in the

February 15, 2017 - Feyisa Lelisa, the 27-year-old Ethiopian silver medal winning marathoner, reunited with his family on Tuesday, according to media reports. His wife, Iftu Mulisa, and two children, 5-year-old daugher, Soko, and 3-year-old son, Sora, arrived at the Miami International Airport after being separated from them for six months, according to VOA.

“It's been tough living alone,” he said speaking to VOA’s Afaan Oromoo Service over the phone in his native Afaan Oromoo. “Back home, I had a lot of support. It hasn’t been easy, but that's part of the struggle. You don't give up,”

February 12, 2017 - Melaku Belachew smashed the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon race record to win the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (12).

The 27-year-old took more than two minutes from his PB to win in 2:10:31, improving the race record by 56 seconds. Compatriot Gulume Tollesa made it an Ethiopian double, winning the women’s race in 2:33:39.

On a day of perfect conditions for distance running, the men’s race came alive in the final 10 kilometres. It started with a conservative opening 10km of 31:58 before the pace picked up with 15km being reached in 47:03.

“Last year was very bad,&rdquo

February 8, 2017 - World 1500m champion Genzebe Dibaba broke world 2000m record at the Miting Internacional de Catalunya in the Spanish city of Sabadell on Tuesday, according to IAAF.

The three-time world indoor champion overtook the pacemaker just before the half-way mark, which was reached in 2:42.65, and continued to extend her lead over her younger sister Anna and Morocco's Siham Hilali.

She went on to stop the clock at 5:23.75, taking almost seven seconds off the world indoor best set by Gabriela Szabo in 1998. Although the 2000m isn't an official world record event indoors, Dibaba's perform