Tirunesh Dibaba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tirunesh Dibaba

Tirunesh at the 2008 Bislett Games
Personal information
Native name	Xurunash Dibaabaa
Nationality	Ethiopian
Born	(1985-10-01) 1 October 1985 (age 39) Bekoji, Arsi Province, Ethiopia
Height	166 cm
Weight	50 kg
Spouse(s)	Sileshi Sihine ​ (m. 2008)​
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	5,000 metres, 10,000 metres, half marathon, marathon
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	5000 m: 14:11.15 (3rd fastest all-time) 10,000 m: 29:42.56 (7th fastest all-time) Marathon: 2:17:56 (16th fastest all-time)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Ethiopia Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 0 3 World Championships 5 1 0 World Cross Country Championships 4 2 0 African Championships 2 1 0 Total 14 4 3 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 5000 m Gold 2008 Beijing 10,000 m Gold 2012 London 10,000 m Bronze 2004 Athens 5000 m Bronze 2012 London 5000 m Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 10,000 m World Championships Gold 2003 Paris 5000 m Gold 2005 Helsinki 5000 m Gold 2005 Helsinki 10,000 m Gold 2007 Osaka 10,000 m Gold 2013 Moscow 10,000 m Silver 2017 London 10,000 m World Cross Country Championships Gold 2003 Lausanne Junior race Gold 2005 Saint-Galmier Long race Gold 2005 Saint-Galmier Short race Gold 2006 Fukuoka Long race Gold 2008 Edinburgh Senior race Silver 2002 Dublin Junior race Silver 2004 Bruxelles Short race Silver 2007 Mombasa Senior race African Championships Gold 2008 Addis Ababa 10,000 m Gold 2010 Nairobi 10,000 m Silver 2006 Bambous 5000 m World Marathon Majors Gold 2017 Chicago Marathon Silver 2017 London Marathon Bronze 2014 London Marathon Bronze 2018 Berlin Marathon

Tirunesh Dibaba (born October 1, 1985) is an amazing long-distance runner from Ethiopia. She is known for her incredible speed and endurance. Tirunesh has won many important races around the world.

She has earned three gold medals at the Summer Olympics. She also has five gold medals from the World Championships. People sometimes call her the "baby-faced destroyer" because she looks young but runs so powerfully!

In 2005, Tirunesh made history. She was the first woman to win both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races at the same World Championships. She also became the youngest World Champion ever in 2003, at just 18 years old.

Tirunesh comes from a family of talented runners. Her sisters, Genzebe and Ejegayehu, are also Olympic medalists. Her cousin, Derartu Tulu, is a famous Olympic gold medalist too. Tirunesh is often seen as the most successful runner in her family.

Tirunesh's Early Life and Family

Tirunesh was born in a small village called Bekoji in Ethiopia. She is the fourth of six children. Her family belongs to the Oromo group. She started running in competitions when she was 14.

Tirunesh grew up in the high mountains of Ethiopia. This helped her train for running. Since 2000, she has lived in Addis Ababa, the capital city.

Her family is full of amazing athletes.

• Her older sister, Ejegayehu, won a silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
• Her younger sister, Genzebe, holds world records in several middle-distance races. Tirunesh and Genzebe are the only sisters in history to hold world records at the same time!
• Her cousin, Derartu Tulu, won gold medals in the 10,000 meters at the 1992 and 2000 Olympics. She also won other medals.

Tirunesh's Running Journey

Tirunesh started her international career as a junior runner.

Junior Running Success

Her first big international race was in 2001. She finished fifth at the World Cross Country Championships when she was only 15.

She then won a silver medal in the junior race in 2002. The next year, in 2003, she won the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships.

Tirunesh also won a silver medal in the 5000 meters at the 2002 World Junior Championships. She was very close to winning gold!

Becoming a World Champion (2003)

In 2003, Tirunesh won her first national championship in Ethiopia. It was for the 5000 meters.

Later that year, she competed in her first World Championships in Paris. She won the 5000 meters in a thrilling sprint finish! This made her the youngest person ever to win an individual gold medal at the World Championships. She said she was surprised to win because no one expected it.

Olympic Medalist in Athens (2004)

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Tirunesh won a bronze medal in the 5000 meters. She was just 19 years old. This made her the youngest Ethiopian to win an Olympic medal.

Double Gold at World Championships (2005)

In 2005, Tirunesh set a new indoor world record for the 5000 meters. She ran much faster than the old record.

She then won two gold medals at the World Cross Country Championships in France. She was only the second woman to win two events at these championships.

At the World Championships in Helsinki, Tirunesh won the 10,000 meters. A week later, she won the 5000 meters too! This made her the first woman to win both the 10,000 and 5000 meters at the same World Championships.

Rivalry and More Wins (2006-2007)

In 2006, Tirunesh won the long race at the World Cross Country Championships. She also won many 5000 meter races in the Golden League series. This earned her a big bonus prize.

Her rivalry with fellow Ethiopian runner Meseret Defar grew stronger. They often raced against each other.

In 2007, Tirunesh broke her own indoor 5000 meters world record. At the World Championships in Osaka, she won the 10,000 meters again. She was the only woman to win this title two times in a row.

Beijing Olympic Glory (2008)

Tirunesh celebrating her 10,000 metres victory at the 2007 World Championships.

In June 2008, Tirunesh set a new world record for the 5000 meters. She ran it in an amazing 14 minutes and 11.15 seconds. This record stood for over 12 years!

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Tirunesh was incredible.

• She won the 10,000 meters, breaking the Olympic record set by her cousin, Derartu Tulu.
• Seven days later, she won the 5000 meters too! This made her the first woman ever to win both the 5000 and 10,000 meters at the same Olympic Games.

She was named the 2008 Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News.

Injuries and Comeback (2009-2012)

Injuries kept Tirunesh from competing in some big races in 2009. However, she set a world best time for a 15-kilometer road race.

In 2010, she finished fourth at the World Cross Country Championships. She also successfully defended her 10,000 meters title at the African Championships.

After another injury, Tirunesh returned to racing in late 2011. She won several road races and track events in 2012.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she defended her 10,000 meters title. She became the first woman to win this Olympic event two times in a row! She also won a bronze medal in the 5000 meters.

More World Championship Gold (2013)

In 2013, Tirunesh won the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Moscow. This was her fifth individual gold medal at the World Championships! She used her famous sprint finish to win.

She also ran the fastest 5000 meters by any woman since 2008.

Marathon Debut and Motherhood (2014-2015)

Tirunesh ran her first marathon in 2014 at the London Marathon. She finished third.

She then took a break from running to have her first child. Her son, Nathan Sileshi, was born in March 2015.

Olympic Bronze in Rio (2016)

Tirunesh returned to running in 2016 to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She ran in the 10,000 meters.

In what was called one of the greatest 10,000 meter races ever, Tirunesh won the bronze medal. Her finish time was her fastest ever! She said the bronze medal was for her son.

Marathon Success and World Silver (2017)

In 2017, Tirunesh ran the London Marathon again. She finished second with an amazing time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 56 seconds. This made her the third fastest woman ever in a marathon!

She also won a silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in London. She had only trained for two months for this race!

Later in 2017, Tirunesh won the Chicago Marathon. This was another gold medal for her!

Recent Years (2018-2023)

In 2018, Tirunesh ran the London Marathon again but did not finish. She won the Great Manchester Run 10K race for the fifth time overall. She also finished third in the Berlin Marathon.

After having her third child, Tirunesh returned to racing in January 2023. She ran the Houston Half Marathon.

Tirunesh's Personal Life

Tirunesh is married to Sileshi Sihine, who is also an Olympic silver medalist in running. They have three children. Their first son, Nathan Sileshi, was born in 2015.

Because of her great achievements, Tirunesh has received special honors. Her running club gave her the rank of Chief Superintendent. She also has an honorary degree from Addis Ababa University. A hospital in Ethiopia is even named after her!

Tirunesh has also started a hotel business. She opened a three-star hotel named after herself.

Tirunesh's Best Times

Here are some of Tirunesh Dibaba's fastest times in different races:

Outdoor Races

Indoor Races

Images for kids

• 

  Tirunesh at the 2008 Bislett Games

• 

  Tirunesh celebrating her 10,000 metres victory at the 2007 World Championships.

See also

In Spanish: Tirunesh Dibaba para niños