Genzebe Dibaba
Encyclopedia
Genzebe Dibaba is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner. She is the sister of World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba
and Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba
, and the cousin of former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu
.
Genzebe won the junior women's title at both the 2008
and 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and finished fifth in the same event in 2007. Genzebe became the second junior woman ever to win two junior cross country championships in a row. She has also competed in IAAF Golden League
meetings, including the Reebok Grand Prix and the Oslo Bislett Games. At the 2008 Bislett Games
she recorded a personal best time of 15:02.41 in the 5000 metres
, during the same race where her sister Tirunesh set a new world record. She did the same a year later in the same race, improving her personal best by more than five seconds.
After winning the 5000 m at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships, she was included in the Ethiopian squad for the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships. In Berlin she replaced Tirunesh on Ethiopia's 5000 m team, who withdrew due to injury. Genzebe ran an excellent heat, finishing fourth and qualifying for the final where, in her first major senior championship race, she finished in an impressive eighth position. She also won the 5000 m gold at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships
.
She began her 2009–10 cross country campaign with a win at the Cross de Atapuerca
. She also competed indoors, improving her 1500 m best to 4:04.80 at the Indoor Flanders meeting. Despite her wins on the senior circuit, she failed to complete a hat-trick of junior race titles at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. She performed far below expectations, ending up in eleventh and barely making it into the silver medal winning Ethiopian team. Her fortunes improved at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics
as she defeated the junior cross country winner Mercy Cherono
to take the 5000 m gold in a championship record time. In November she took a second consecutive victory at the Cross de Atapueca, taking a prominent scalp in Emily Chebet
(the reigning senior champion). She was the runner-up at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in January 2011 behind Linet Masai
.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n long-distance runner. She is the sister of World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba
Tirunesh Dibaba
Tirunesh Dibaba also known as Tirunesh Dibaba Kenene is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete and the outdoor 5000 metres world record holder. She is the current Olympic 5000 metres and 10,000 metres champion...
and Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba
Ejegayehu Dibaba
Ejegayehu Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.She is a member of the Oromo ethnic group from the high-altitude Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. She is the third child of six, her younger sisters Tirunesh and Genzebe are also international long distance athletes, and brother Dejene is marked...
, and the cousin of former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu
Derartu Tulu
Derartu Tulu is an Ethiopian long distance track, road and marathon athlete.Derartu , a member of the Oromo ethnic group, grew up tending cattle in the village of Bekoji in the highlands of Arsi Province...
.
Genzebe won the junior women's title at both the 2008
2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
and 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
and finished fifth in the same event in 2007. Genzebe became the second junior woman ever to win two junior cross country championships in a row. She has also competed in IAAF Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
meetings, including the Reebok Grand Prix and the Oslo Bislett Games. At the 2008 Bislett Games
Bislett Games
The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.-History:The first...
she recorded a personal best time of 15:02.41 in the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
, during the same race where her sister Tirunesh set a new world record. She did the same a year later in the same race, improving her personal best by more than five seconds.
After winning the 5000 m at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships, she was included in the Ethiopian squad for the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships. In Berlin she replaced Tirunesh on Ethiopia's 5000 m team, who withdrew due to injury. Genzebe ran an excellent heat, finishing fourth and qualifying for the final where, in her first major senior championship race, she finished in an impressive eighth position. She also won the 5000 m gold at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships
2009 African Junior Athletics Championships
The 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships were held in Bambous, Mauritius from 30 July to 2 August. There were 41 events in total, of which 21 were contested by male athletes and 20 by female athletes. Multiple gold medallists Caster Semenya and Amaka Ogoegbunam broke championships records,...
.
She began her 2009–10 cross country campaign with a win at the Cross de Atapuerca
Cross de Atapuerca
The Cross Internacional de Atapuerca is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Atapuerca, Spain. Established in 2004, it takes place in early November and is among the first major competitions of the cross country season...
. She also competed indoors, improving her 1500 m best to 4:04.80 at the Indoor Flanders meeting. Despite her wins on the senior circuit, she failed to complete a hat-trick of junior race titles at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
. She performed far below expectations, ending up in eleventh and barely making it into the silver medal winning Ethiopian team. Her fortunes improved at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 13th World Junior Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes under the age of 20 which was held at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada from 19–25 July 2010. A total of 44 athletics events were contested at the Championships, 22 by male...
as she defeated the junior cross country winner Mercy Cherono
Mercy Cherono
Mercy Cherono is a Kenyan middle distance runner. She is a two-time world junior champion in the 3000 metres and has also won gold medals at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics and 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games...
to take the 5000 m gold in a championship record time. In November she took a second consecutive victory at the Cross de Atapueca, taking a prominent scalp in Emily Chebet
Emily Chebet
Emily Chebet is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres and cross country running...
(the reigning senior champion). She was the runner-up at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in January 2011 behind Linet Masai
Linet Masai
Linet Chepkwemoi Masai is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events...
.
Achievements
2007 | World Cross Country Championships 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Mombasa Mombasa Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry.... , Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east... |
5th | Junior race |
2008 | World Cross Country Championships 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
1st | Junior race |
World Junior Championships in Athletics 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008.... |
Bydgoszcz, Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
2nd | 5000 m | |
2009 | World Cross Country Championships 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Amman Amman Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost... , Jordan Jordan Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing... |
1st | Junior race |
Ethiopian Athletics Championships | Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia... , Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2... |
1st | 5000 m | |
Reebok Grand Prix Reebok Grand Prix The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:... |
New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... , USA |
3rd | 5000 m | |
Bislett Games Bislett Games The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.-History:The first... |
Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... , NOR Nor Nor may refer to:*In grammar, nor is a coordinating conjunction*Nór, the eponymous founder-king of Norway in Norse mythology*Nor , a character in the book in Wicked... |
13th | 5000 m | |
African Junior Championships 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships The 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships were held in Bambous, Mauritius from 30 July to 2 August. There were 41 events in total, of which 21 were contested by male athletes and 20 by female athletes. Multiple gold medallists Caster Semenya and Amaka Ogoegbunam broke championships records,... |
Bambous, Mauritius Mauritius Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar... |
1st | 5000 m | |
World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
8th | 5000 m | |
2010 | World Junior Championships 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 13th World Junior Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes under the age of 20 which was held at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada from 19–25 July 2010. A total of 44 athletics events were contested at the Championships, 22 by male... |
Moncton, Canada | 1st | 5000 m 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 5000 metres The women's 5,000 metres at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held at the Moncton 2010 Stadium on 21 July.-Medalists:-Records:Prior to the competition, the existing world junior and championship records were as follows.... |
Personal bests
Event | Time | Date | Place |
---|---|---|---|
1500 m | 4:06.10 | 14 May 2010 | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar |
3000 m | 8:48.35 | 3 September 2010 | Padua Padua Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having... , Italy |
5000 m | 14:55.52 | 3 July 2009 | Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... , Norway |
1500 m indoors | 4:04.80 | Gent, Belgium | 14 February 2010 |
3000 m indoors | 8:47.01 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | 6 February 2010 |