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 is a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. She is known for winning many big races. Tirunesh has won three Olympic gold medals and five World Championship gold medals. She also won four adult titles and one junior title at the World Cross Country Championships.

Tirunesh used to hold the 5,000 metres outdoor track world record. People sometimes call her the "baby-faced destroyer" because she looks young but is a very strong competitor.

In 2005, Tirunesh made history at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. She was the first woman to win both the 5000 metres and 10000 metres races at the same championship. She also won both the short and long course races at the World Cross Country Championships in Saint-Galmier, France. When she won her first World Championship in 2003, she was only 18 years old, making her the youngest World Champion at that time.

Tirunesh comes from a family of amazing athletes. Her sisters, Genzebe and Ejegayehu, and her cousin, Derartu Tulu, are all Olympic medalists. Tirunesh is the most successful athlete in her family.

About Tirunesh Dibaba

Tirunesh was born on October 1, 1985, in a 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 years old. She grew up in the high mountains of Arsi Zone but has lived in Addis Ababa, the capital city, since 2000.

Her family is very athletic. Her older sister, Ejegayehu, won a silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Her younger sister, Genzebe, holds several world records in middle-distance running. Tirunesh and Genzebe are the only sisters in history to hold world records at the same time. Their cousin, Derartu Tulu, won gold medals in the 10,000 metres at the 1992 and 2000 Summer Olympics.

Tirunesh's Running Career

Early Races and First Big Wins

Tirunesh started competing internationally when she was 15. She finished fifth in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships in Ostend, Belgium in 2001. The next year, she won a silver medal in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland. She then won the junior race in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2003.

She also won a silver medal in the 5000 metres at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica.

Becoming a World Champion

In 2003, Tirunesh won her first national championship in Ethiopia for the 5000 metres. Later that year, at her first World Championships in Paris, she won the 5000 metres race. This made her the youngest athlete ever to win an individual gold medal at the World Championships. She was only 18 years old.

In 2004, at the Summer Olympics in Athens, Tirunesh won a bronze medal in the 5000 metres. She was the youngest Ethiopian to win an Olympic medal.

Making History with Double Gold

In 2005, Tirunesh set a new world record in the indoor 5000 metres at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. 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, Finland, Tirunesh won both the 10,000 metres and the 5000 metres. She was the first woman ever to win both races at the same World Championships.

Rivalries and More Wins

In 2006, Tirunesh won the long race at the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. She also won five of six 5000 metre races in the IAAF Golden League, earning a big bonus. She often competed against her rival, Meseret Defar, winning most of their races that year.

In 2007, Tirunesh broke her own indoor 5000 metres world record. She also successfully defended her 10,000 metres title at the World Championships in Osaka, becoming the only woman to win this title twice in a row.

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

Olympic Glory and World Records

On June 6, 2008, Tirunesh set a new world record in the 5,000 metres at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway. Her time of 14:11.15 was more than five seconds faster than the previous record. This record stood for over twelve years.

At the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Tirunesh won the 10,000 metres race. Her time of 29:54.66 broke the Olympic record set by her cousin, Derartu Tulu. A week later, she also won the 5000 metres. This made her the first woman to win both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the same Olympic Games.

Injuries and Comebacks

In 2009, Tirunesh had injuries that kept her from competing in some major championships. However, she set a world best time in a 15-kilometre road race in the Netherlands.

She returned to competition in 2010, finishing fourth at the World Cross Country Championships. She also successfully defended her 10,000 metres title at the African Championships in Nairobi.

After a long break due to a leg injury, Tirunesh returned in late 2011, winning a 10-kilometre road race in Madrid. In 2012, she won several races, including the 10,000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she successfully defended her 10,000 metres title. This made her the first woman to win consecutive Olympic 10,000 metres titles. She also won a bronze medal in the 5000 metres at the same Olympics.

Marathon Debut and Motherhood

In 2013, Tirunesh won her third World Championship in the 10,000 metres in Moscow. She was the favorite and sprinted to victory in the final part of the race.

Tirunesh made her debut in the marathon at the 2014 London Marathon. She finished third in the race. After this, she became pregnant with her first child and took a break from running in 2015. She gave birth to her son in March 2015.

Return to the Olympics

Tirunesh returned to running in 2016 to compete in the 10,000 metres at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In a very fast race, she won the bronze medal. Her time was the fourth fastest in history for the 10,000 metres.

In 2017, Tirunesh ran the London Marathon again, finishing second. Her time of 2:17:56 made her the third fastest woman ever in a marathon. She also won a silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in London. Later that year, she won the Chicago Marathon.

In 2018, she ran the London Marathon and the Berlin Marathon, where she finished third. She also won the Great Manchester Run 10K for the fifth time.

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

Personal Life

Tirunesh is married to Sileshi Sihine, who also won silver medals in the Olympic 10,000 metres. They have three children.

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics, her running club gave her the rank of Chief Superintendent. Tirunesh has an honorary doctorate from Addis Ababa University. There is even a hospital named after her near Addis Ababa. She has also started a hotel business.

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