Sileshi Sihine

Sileshi Sihine

Sileshi Sihine at a press conference at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Ethiopia
Olympic Games
	2004 Athens	10,000 m
	2008 Beijing	10,000 m
World Championships
	2005 Helsinki	5000 m
	2005 Helsinki	10,000 m
	2007 Osaka	10,000 m
	2003 Paris	10,000 m
All-Africa Games
	2003 Abuja	10000 m

Sileshi Sihine (Amharic: ስለሺ ስህኔ; born January 29, 1983 in Sheno) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.

Sileshi achieved a silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as at the 2005 World Championships and 2007 World Championships as well as a bronze medal in 2003. He also picked up a silver medal in the 5000 m at the 2005 World Championships.

Career

Sileshi began running at school, inspired by the achievements of his compatriot Haile Gebrselassie, and after success at junior level, he emerged as a leading senior athlete. He established himself as a competent cross country runner with consecutive wins at the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños in 2002 and 2003.^[1]

Sileshi Sihine was one of the three Ethiopians, along with Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie who swept the gold, silver, bronze medals in the 10,000 m of 2003 World Championships. He took the 10,000 m gold at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games.

He won a silver medal in the 10,000 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics, behind his compatriot Kenenisa Bekele.^[2][3][4]

Sileshi won the silver medal in the 10,000 m behind Kenenisa Bekele and the silver medal in the 5000 m at the 2005 World Championships.

He was third in the 2004 World Cross Country Championships and 2nd behind Kenenisa Bekele in 2006 World Cross Country Championships.^[5]

At the 2007 World Championships Sileshi took the silver medal in the 10,000 m, again finishing behind Bekele. The following year he yet again took a silver medal behind his countryman Bekele at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

He attempted his first marathon race at the 2011 Amsterdam Marathon, but dropped out after 36 km.^[6]

In February 2015, he was elected president of the newly formed Ethiopian Athletes’ Association.^[7]

Personal life

Sileshi Sihine is married to three-time Olympic champion athlete Tirunesh Dibaba. Their wedding was broadcast live on national television.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Ethiopia
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	2nd	10,000m	29:03.74
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	3rd	10,000 m	27:01.44
	All-Africa Games	Abuja, Nigeria	1st	10,000 m	27:42.13
	Afro-Asian Games	Hyderabad, India	1st	10,000 m	27:48.40
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	2nd	10,000 m	27:09.39
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	1st	5,000 m	13:06.95
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	2nd	5,000 m	13:32.81
			2nd	10,000 m	27:08.87
	World Half Marathon Championships	Edmonton, Canada	4th	Half Marathon	1:01:14
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	2nd	10,000 m	27:09.03
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, PR China	2nd	10,000 m	27:02.77

Personal bests

• All information taken from IAAF profile.

References

External links

• Sileshi Sihine profile at IAAF
• IAAF Focus on Athletes article

Sporting positions
Preceded by Richard Yatich	Men's Zevenheuvelenloop Winner (15 km) 2004	Succeeded by Haile Gebrselassie