Zersenay Tadese

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Olympic medal record
Men's Athletics
Bronze 2004 Athens 10.000 metres

Zersenay Tadesse (born February 9, 1982 in Adi Bana) is an Eritrean long distance track, and road running athlete.

He became the first person in Eritrean sporting history to win an Olympic medal. Zersenay took the bronze in the 10.000 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece behind Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele, and Sileshi Sihine.[1]

In 2005, he won the Great North Run in Newcastle, with a record breaking time.

In April 2006, he finished fourth in the long race at the World Cross Country Championships, winning a silver medal in the team competition. On 2006-09-10 he won the Rotterdam Half Marathon, and in October 2006 he won the gold medal at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships.

On 31 December 2006 he ran a new World Record over 10 kilometres road race in the San Silvestre Vallence race in Madrid. In a heavy battle between him and Eliud Kipchoge he finished in 26:54, breaking Haile Gebrselassie's record of 27:02. Tadese did however not win the race, he and Kipchoge were awarded the same time with Kipchoge as the winner of the race. [2]

On 24 March 2007, he won the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, beating five time world cross country champion Kenenisa Bekele (who dropped out after Tadese had left him behind late in the race.)[3]

On 21 July 2007 he won the 10,000 m at the All-Africa Games in Algiers. [4]

In the World Athletics Championships he finished 6th and 4th in the 10,000m at the 2005 and 2007 events respectively.

On 23 September 2007 he won the Dam tot Damloop (which is 10 Miles) in the Netherlands in 45 minutes and 51 seconds. He finished a half minute before Bernard Kipyego and a minute before James Rotich.

On 14 October 2007 he successfully defended his title at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/athens2004/track_field/results?medals. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
  2. ^ Kipchoge breaks 27 minute barrier in Madrid - IAAF
  3. ^ "Tadesse takes title as Bekele loses stomach for cross country fight", 2007-03-24. Retrieved on 2007-10-23. 
  4. ^ In Algiers, another landmark for Tadese - Shabait.com

[edit] External links

IAAF profile for Zersenay Tadese



Sporting positions
Preceded by
Flag of Ethiopia Dejene Birhanu
Men's Half Marathon Best Year Performance
2004
Succeeded by
Flag of Ethiopia Haile Gebrselassie
Preceded by
nobody
IAAF Men's World Road Running Champion
2006,2007
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Flag of Ethiopia Kenenisa Bekele
IAAF Men's World Cross Country Champion
2007
Succeeded by
Kenenisa Bekele
Preceded by
Flag of Ethiopia Ejegayehu Dibaba
Men's 10,000m All-African Games Winner
2007
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Flag of Kenya Francis Kibiwott
Men's Dam tot Damloop Winner
2007
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Flag of Kenya Samuel Kamau Wanjiru
Rotterdam Men's Half Marathon Winner
2006
Succeeded by
Flag of Kenya Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot
Preceded by
Flag of Ethiopia Dejene Berhanu
Men's Great North Run Winner
2005
Succeeded by
Flag of South Africa Hendrick Ramaala