Meseret Defar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Meseret Defar

Defar in 2016
Personal information
Nationality	Ethiopian
Born	(1983-11-19) 19 November 1983 (age 41) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Height	155 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Weight	42 kg (93 lb)
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	3000 metres, 5000 metres
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 1 0 World Championships 2 1 2 World Indoor Championships 4 1 1 African Championships 1 3 0 World Junior Championships 2 1 0 World Youth Championships 0 1 0 Total 11 8 3 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 5000 m Gold 2012 London 5000 m Silver 2008 Beijing 5000 m World Championships Gold 2007 Osaka 5000 m Gold 2013 Moscow 5000 m Silver 2005 Helsinki 5000 m Bronze 2009 Berlin 5000 m Bronze 2011 Daegu 5000 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2004 Budapest 3000 m Gold 2006 Moskva 3000 m Gold 2008 Valencia 3000 m Gold 2010 Doha 3000 m Silver 2012 Istanbul 3000 m Silver 2016 Portland 3000 m Bronze 2003 Birmingham 3000 m All-Africa Games Gold 2003 Abuja 5000 m Gold 2007 Algiers 5000 m African Championships Gold 2006 Bambous 5000 m Silver 2000 Algiers 5000 m Silver 2008 Addis Ababa 5000 m Silver 2010 Nairobi 5000 m World Junior Championships Gold 2002 Kingston 3000 m Gold 2002 Kingston 5000 m Silver 2000 Santiago 5000 m World Youth Championships Silver 1999 Bydgoszcz 3000 m

Meseret Defar Tola (born November 19, 1983) is a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. She is best known for competing in races like the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. Meseret has won many important medals, including gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships for the 5,000 meters.

She even broke the world record for the 5,000 meters in 2006 and again in 2007. She held this record until 2008. In 2007, she also made history by running two miles in less than 9 minutes, setting a new world best time!

Meseret has been very successful in the 5,000-meter race at the Olympics. She won gold medals in Athens in 2004 and London in 2012. She also earned a bronze at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, which was later changed to a silver medal. She has also won gold and silver medals at the World Championships.

She holds indoor records for the 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, and the two-mile run. Meseret won four gold medals in a row at the IAAF World Indoor Championships from 2004 to 2010. She has also won titles at the All-Africa Games, African Championships, and World Junior Championships. In 2014, Meseret took a break from running to start a family.

Meseret Defar's Amazing Career Highlights

Meseret Defar has had an incredible career filled with many victories and broken records. Let's look at some of her biggest achievements.

Olympic Games Success

Meseret first won a gold medal at the Afro-Asian Games in 2003. She then went on to win gold medals in the women's 5,000 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She won another gold medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she earned a bronze medal, which was later upgraded to a silver.

Setting World Records

Meseret Defar is known for setting new world records in running.

• On June 3, 2006, she ran the 5,000 meters in New York City in a world record time of 14 minutes and 24.53 seconds.
• She improved this record even more on June 15, 2007, at the Bislett Games in Oslo, running it in 14 minutes and 16.63 seconds.
• On February 3, 2007, she set an indoor world record for the 3,000 meters in Stuttgart, Germany, with a time of 8 minutes and 23.72 seconds.
• She also set a world best time for the 2-mile run in Carson, California, on May 20, 2007, finishing in 9 minutes and 10.47 seconds.
• On September 1, 2007, she won gold in the 5,000 meters at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.
• Just two weeks later, on September 14, 2007, she broke her own 2-mile record at the Van Damme Memorial meet, running it in an amazing 8 minutes and 58.58 seconds. This made her the first woman to run two miles in under 9 minutes!
• In 2007, Meseret was also named the female IAAF World Athlete of the Year.

Highlights from World Championships

Meseret has had many strong performances at the World Championships.

• In 2005, she won a silver medal at the World Championships in Helsinki.
• She won the World Indoor Championships for the 3,000 meters in 2006, keeping her title from 2004.
• In January 2008, she set a new indoor world best for the two-mile event at the Reebok Boston Indoor meeting.
• Meseret won her third gold medal in a row for the 3,000 meters at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Athletics.
• In 2009, she set new personal bests, including a new 5,000-meter indoor world record and an indoor world best for two miles.
• She also ran the 10,000 meters in under 30 minutes, which is a huge achievement, and qualified for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics.
• At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, she finished fifth in the 10,000 meters.
• A month later, she won the 3,000 meters at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final.
• In 2010, she won her fourth gold medal in a row for the 3,000 meters at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
• She also won a silver medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics.
• Meseret won gold in the 3,000 meters at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup.
• She also ran her first half marathon in Philadelphia, winning it with a great time.
• In 2011, she won several 5,000-meter races but earned a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.
• At the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, she finished second in the 3,000 meters.
• Despite some second-place finishes, she won her second Olympic gold medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2012 London Olympics.
• In 2013, she won a 3,000-meter indoor race and set a new course record at the New Orleans Half Marathon.
• She won her second world title in the 5,000 meters at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow.

Meseret Defar's Best Times

Here are Meseret Defar's personal best times for different running events:

Meseret Defar at the World Indoor Championships in 2008

Meseret Defar's Personal Life

Meseret Defar is a Christian and belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. She often shows her religious beliefs in public. For example, after winning the 5,000-meter race at the 2012 Olympics, she celebrated by showing an icon of Mary and Baby Jesus.

See also

In Spanish: Meseret Defar para niños

• List of world records in athletics