Mimi Belete
Encyclopedia
Mimi Belete Gebregeiorges (born 9 June 1988) is an Ethiopia
n middle- and long-distance runner who competes internationally for Bahrain
. She won the 5000 metres
title at the 2010 Asian Games
.
She moved to Belgium
as a political refugee along with her younger sister, Almenesh Belete, who is also a runner. It was in Belgium that she began competing: she ran at the 2007 Memorial van Damme
in Brussels
and was the 2009 winner of the Eurocross
competition. She chose to transfer allegiance to Bahrain
in early 2009 and her first outing for her newly-adopted country was at the Asian Cross Country Championships
, where she took the silver medal
behind fellow convert Maryam Yusuf Jamal
. She ran at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in March and finished in 28th place. She also qualified for the 1500 metres
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
and reached the semi-finals of the event. At the end of the year she set indoor bests at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
, taking fourth place in the 800 metres
and taking the runner-up spot in the 1500 metres
behind Liu Qing
.
She started her 2010 with a defence of her title at the Eurocross before going on to take 16th place at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in Bydgoszcz. She improved her 3000 metres
best with a fourth place finish in 8:32.18 at the Herculis
IAAF Diamond League
meeting in July, and a month later she ran a personal best of 4:00.25 for the 1500 m, taking second place behind Jamal at the Rieti Meeting. She was selected to represent the Asia-Pacific team at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup
and came in fourth place in the 1500 m. Belete won two medals at the 2010 Asian Games
in November. She made a team effort with Jamal in the 1500 m and ended up with the bronze medal
as Truong Thanh Hang
edged her near the finish. Running in the 5000 m, she managed to fend off an Indian challenge in the form of Preeja Sreedharan
and Kavita Raut
to secure the gold medal
in a personal best of 15:15.59 minutes, completing her first major title win.
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 middle- and long-distance runner who competes internationally for Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. She won 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...
title at the 2010 Asian Games
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
.
She moved to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
as a political refugee along with her younger sister, Almenesh Belete, who is also a runner. It was in Belgium that she began competing: she ran at the 2007 Memorial van Damme
Memorial Van Damme
Memorial van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium that takes place in late August or early September...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and was the 2009 winner of the Eurocross
Eurocross
Eurocross is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Diekirch, Luxembourg in February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships....
competition. She chose to transfer allegiance to Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
in early 2009 and her first outing for her newly-adopted country was at the Asian Cross Country Championships
Asian Cross Country Championships
The Asian Cross Country Championships is a biennial regional cross country running competition for athletes from Asia. It is organised by the Asian Athletics Association and was first held in 1991 in Fukuoka, Japan...
, where she took the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
behind fellow convert Maryam Yusuf Jamal
Maryam Yusuf Jamal
Maryam Yusuf Jamal is a Bahraini middle distance runner.Born in Ethiopia, 2005 was her first full season. She gained the national record and ran the fastest 3000 m of 2005 with a time of 8:28.87 at a race in Oslo...
. She ran at the 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...
in March and finished in 28th place. She also qualified for the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
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....
and reached the semi-finals of the event. At the end of the year she set indoor bests at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games was held in My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium, Hanoi, Vietnam from 31 October to 2 November 2009....
, taking fourth place in the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
and taking the runner-up spot in the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
behind Liu Qing
Liu Qing (athlete)
Liu Qing is a female Chinese middle distance runner who specializes in the 800 and 1500 metres.At the 2005 Summer Universiade she finished fourth in the 800 m and won a bronze in the 1500 m, and at the 2006 Asian Games she finished seventh and sixth. She competed in both events at the 2007 World...
.
She started her 2010 with a defence of her title at the Eurocross before going on to take 16th place 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...
in Bydgoszcz. She improved her 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
best with a fourth place finish in 8:32.18 at the Herculis
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
IAAF Diamond League
IAAF Diamond League
The Samsung Diamond League is an annual series of track and field meetings held from 2010 onwards, beginning with the 2010 IAAF Diamond League...
meeting in July, and a month later she ran a personal best of 4:00.25 for the 1500 m, taking second place behind Jamal at the Rieti Meeting. She was selected to represent the Asia-Pacific team at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup
2010 IAAF Continental Cup
The 1st IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field sporting event held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations. Originally scheduled as the 11th IAAF World Cup in Athletics, it was renamed in 2008 when the IAAF revamped the competition format...
and came in fourth place in the 1500 m. Belete won two medals at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China from 21 to 27 November 2010. A total of 47 events were contested, 24 by men and 23 by women - matching the Olympic athletics programme...
in November. She made a team effort with Jamal in the 1500 m and ended up with the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
as Truong Thanh Hang
Truong Thanh Hang
Truong Thanh Hang is a Vietnamese track and field athlete who specialises in middle-distance running events...
edged her near the finish. Running in the 5000 m, she managed to fend off an Indian challenge in the form of Preeja Sreedharan
Preeja Sreedharan
Preeja Sreedharan is an Indian long-distance runner. She won gold medal in the 10000 meter event and Silver in 5000 metres in the Guangzhou Asian Games. She holds Indian National Record for both 5000 and 10,000 metres.At the 2006 Asian Games she finished fifth in both the 5000 and the 10,000 metres...
and Kavita Raut
Kavita Raut
Kavita Raut is an Indian long-distance runner from Nashik, Maharashtra. She holds the current Indian National record for 10 km road running with a mark of 34:32. She won the bronze medal in 10,000 metres race at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the first individual track medal by an Indian woman...
to secure the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in a personal best of 15:15.59 minutes, completing her first major title win.
Competition record
| 2009 | Asian Cross Country Championships Asian Cross Country Championships The Asian Cross Country Championships is a biennial regional cross country running competition for athletes from Asia. It is organised by the Asian Athletics Association and was first held in 1991 in Fukuoka, Japan... |
Manama Manama Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population... , Bahrain |
2nd | Women's race |
| 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 |
28th | Women's race | |
| 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 |
10th (semis) | 1500 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 1500 metres The women's 1500 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium between 18–23 August.-Medalists:-Records:-Qualification standards:-Schedule:-Heats:... |
|
| Asian Indoor Games Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games was held in My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium, Hanoi, Vietnam from 31 October to 2 November 2009.... |
Hanoi Hanoi Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam... , Vietnam |
4th | 800 m | |
| 2nd | 1500 m | |||
| 2010 | Continental Cup 2010 IAAF Continental Cup The 1st IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field sporting event held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations. Originally scheduled as the 11th IAAF World Cup in Athletics, it was renamed in 2008 when the IAAF revamped the competition format... |
Split Split (city) Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and... , Croatia |
4th | 1500 m 2010 IAAF Continental Cup results These are the results of the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup, which took place in Split, Croatia on 4 and 5 September 2010.-Track:-Men's 100 metres:-Men's 200 metres:-Men's 400 metres:-Men's 800 metres:-Men's 1500 metres:-Men's 3000 metres:... |
| Asian Games Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China from 21 to 27 November 2010. A total of 47 events were contested, 24 by men and 23 by women - matching the Olympic athletics programme... |
Guangzhou Guangzhou Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port... , China |
3rd | 1500 m | |
| 1st | 5000 m |