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 (born April 23, 1978) is a famous Ethiopian athlete. He is best known for winning the challenging marathon race. Gezahegne won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He also became a World Champion.
Contents
Gezahegne's Early Running Days
Gezahegne was born in Etya, Arsi Province, Ethiopia. His first big international race was the 1999 Los Angeles Marathon. He finished fourth in that race. This good result helped him join the Ethiopian team for the 1999 World Championships. There, he finished eleventh.
Winning His First Marathon
Later in 1999, Gezahegne won his first international marathon. He finished first at the Fukuoka marathon in Japan. He liked this race so much that he won it again in 2001 and 2002. In 2000, before the Olympics, Gezahegne also finished second in the famous Boston Marathon.
Olympic Gold in Sydney
At the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the marathon was a very exciting race. It came down to three top runners: Gezahegne, his fellow Ethiopian Tesfaye Tola, and Kenyan Erick Wainaina.
The Final Miles
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 that position all the way to the finish line. At only 22 years old, Gezahegne became the youngest Olympic marathon champion. The last time someone so young won was in 1932!
Becoming a World Champion
In 2001, Gezahegne continued his winning streak. He won the World Championships marathon. He won by just one second over Simon Biwott from Kenya. This victory was very special. Gezahegne became the first person ever to win both an Olympic gold medal and a World Championships gold medal in the marathon. This is known as an "Olympics-World Championships marathon double."
Later Career and Life
In 2003, Gezahegne won the London Marathon with a fast time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 56 seconds. However, he started to face challenges with injuries.
Dealing with Injuries
At the 2003 World Championships, Gezahegne had to stop the race because of an injury. Despite this, he was still chosen for the Ethiopian team for the 2004 Olympic Games. Sadly, another injury kept him from running in that race too. His wife, Elfenesh Alemu, was also an athlete. She was on the 2004 Olympic team and finished fourth in the women's marathon.
Life After Running
Gezahegne's repeated injuries meant he had to stop running professionally 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
