Gezahegne Abera facts for kids
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Athletics | ||
Representing  Ethiopia |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2000 Sydney | Marathon |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2001 Edmonton | Marathon |
Gezahegne Abera is a famous Ethiopian athlete. He is best known for winning the marathon race at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He was born on April 23, 1978.
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Gezahegne Abera: A Marathon Champion
Gezahegne Abera was born in a place called Etya in Arsi Province, Ethiopia. He grew up to become one of the world's top marathon runners. A marathon is a very long running race, usually about 42 kilometers (26 miles).
Early Running Career
Gezahegne's first big international race was the 1999 Los Angeles Marathon. He finished in fourth place there. This good performance helped him join the Ethiopian team for the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. At that event, he finished eleventh.
Later in 1999, Gezahegne won his first international marathon. He took first place at the Fukuoka marathon in Japan. He liked this race so much that he won it again in 2001 and 2002! In 2000, he also came in second at the famous Boston Marathon.
Olympic Gold in Sydney
The 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, was a huge moment for Gezahegne. The marathon race was very exciting. It came down to three top runners: Gezahegne, his fellow Ethiopian Tesfaye Tola, and Kenyan runner Erick Wainaina.
Around the 37-kilometer mark, Wainaina tried to pull ahead. But just two kilometers later, Gezahegne made his move. He surged into the lead and kept it all the way to the finish line! At only 22 years old, Gezahegne became the youngest Olympic marathon champion since 1932.
World Championship Success
In 2001, Gezahegne continued his winning streak. He competed in the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He won this race by just one second, beating Simon Biwott from Kenya.
This victory was very special. Gezahegne became the first person ever to win both an Olympic marathon and a World Championships marathon. This is a very rare and impressive achievement in running!
Later Career and Life
In 2003, Gezahegne won another major race, the London Marathon. He finished with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 56 seconds.
Unfortunately, injuries started to affect his career. At the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, he had to stop the race because of an injury. He was chosen for the Ethiopian team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, but injuries kept him from running again.
Gezahegne's wife, Elfenesh Alemu, is also a talented marathon runner. She was also on the 2004 Olympic team and finished fourth in the women's marathon.
Because of his repeated injuries, Gezahegne's running career ended when he was still quite young. Today, he and his wife own a hotel and a property development business. Gezahegne is also a member of the committee for the Ethiopian Athletics Federation.
See also
In Spanish: Gezahegne Abera para niños
