Selemon Barega

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Selemon Barega
Bydgoszcz 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships, 5000m men final11 23-07-2016.jpg
Selemon Barega in 2016
Personal information
NationalityEthiopian
Born (2000-01-20) 20 January 2000 (age 22)
Gurage zone, Ethiopia
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight53 kg (117 lb)
Sport
CountryEthiopia
SportAthletics
Event(s)Long-distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)3000 m: 7:26.10i
2 miles: 8:08.69
5000 m: 12:43.02 WJR
10,000 m: 26:49.46
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 10,000 m
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Doha 5000 m
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 2018 Birmingham 3000 m
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Bydgoszcz 5000 m
World Youth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Nairobi 3000 m

Selemon Barega Shirtaga (born 20 January 2000) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes primarily in the 5000 metres and 10,000 meters.[1] He won the gold medal at the 10,000 m at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. He represented his country at the 2017 World Championships finishing fifth in the final. He also won gold medals at the 2016 World U20 Championships and 2017 World U18 Championships. He won a silver medal in the men's 5000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Career[]

Selemon was born in the Gurage area of Ethiopia.[2]

Selemon began competing internationally in 2016. On 23 July, he won the IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland in 13:21.21.

In 2017, Selemon competed in the U20 Race at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships; he placed 5th. Selemon won the African U20 Championships in Tlemcen, Algeria over 5000m clocking 13:51.43 on 2 July. On 6 July, Selemon clocked his first sub-13 minute 5000m at the Lausanne Diamond League Meeting placing 2nd in 12:55.58. On 16 July, Selemon won the Nairobi IAAF World U18 Championships in the 3000m clocking 7:47.16. At the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London, Selemon placed 5th in the men's 5000m final in a time of 13:35.34, the race was won by compatriot Muktar Edris.

In 2018, Selemon placed 2nd at the 3000m at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom clocking a time of 8:15.59 on 4 March. On 25 May, Selemon won the 2 Mile Race at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Selemon's next major championships was on 14 July at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland where he placed 4th in 13:21.16. On 31 August, Selemon set a World U20 Record at 5000m at the Bruxelles Memorial Van Damme Diamond League Meeting clocking a time of 12:43.02. This performance ranks him as the 5th fastest 5000m performer of all-time, behind Joshua Cheptegei, Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie, and Daniel Komen.[3]

In 2019, Selemon competed at the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark in the Senior Men's Race. Selemon placed 4th and was the first Ethiopian to finish in a race won by Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei.[4] Selemon placed second at the Diamond League Meetings in Shanghai on 18 May and the Diamond League in Rome on 6 June. On 13 June, Selemon won the 3000m at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway clocking 7:32.17. On 30 June, Selemon placed 3rd at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon over 2 miles in a time of 8:08.69. On 5 July, Selemon was 2nd at the Lausanne Diamond League Meeting clocking 13:01.99 in the 5000m. On 17 July, Selemon was second at the Ethiopian Trials in Hengelo, Netherlands in a personal best time of 26:49.46 finishing behind Hagos Gebrhiwet. On 29 August, Selemon was 5th at the 5000m at the Zurich Diamond League. On 27 September, Selemon won his heat of the men's 5000m at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics in Doha, Qatar, and on 30 September, he finished 2nd in the final in 12:59.70, outsprinted by compatriot Muktar Edris.

In February 2020, Selemon competed at several indoor track races in Europe. Selemon's next race was on 8 September at the Ostrava Golden Spike where he contested the 5000m, placing 2nd in 12:49.08. Despite attempting to sprint pass Jacob Kiplimo in the final 100m, the Ugandan held on to win in a time of 12:48.63.[5] Selemon next raced a 1500m at the Gala dei Castelli in Switzerland placing 3rd 3:36.07 on 15 September. At the Doha Diamond League Meeting on 25 September Selemon raced 1500m in 3:32.97, placing 2nd. Selemon headed back to Ethiopia where on 26 December he raced 1500m at the Ethiopian Clubs Competition in Addis Abeba winning in 3:38.1.

In 2021, Selemon won the Olympic candidate trial competition in Addis Abeba recording a time of 27:58.5. Selemon competed at several indoor track races in January at February including a 7:26.10 Indoor 3000m clocking him placing second behind compatriot Getnet Wale. Selemon became the 3rd fastest performer in history over the 3000m Indoor with his performance, behind Kenya's Daniel Komen who clocked 7:24.90 on 6 February 1998 and compatriot Getnet Wale who won the race ahead of Selemon in 7:24.98.[6] Selemon next raced two Indoor 1500m races on the World Athletics Indoor Tour winning both, first at the Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland he clocked a 3:32.97 on 17 February, and then on 24 February, a 3:35.42 performance in Madrid, Spain. Selemon's performance in Torun made him the 8th fastest performer of all time in the 3000m Indoor.[7] Selemon's first outdoor track 5000m race of the year came in Bergamo, Italy on 12 May, where he clocked 13:02.47, he was beaten by Kenya's .[8] Selemon next raced at the Ethiopian Trials in Hengelo, Netherlands, where he won the 10000m in a time of 26:49.51 [9] holding off Yomif Kejelcha who was second, Berihu Aregawi placed 3rd. The race was tactical with Selemon putting in surges and then slowing down before it came down to a last lap sprint finish.

On 30 July 2021, at the age of 21, Selemon won the 10,000 m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, outsprinting world record holder Joshua Cheptegei and World Half Marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda to win in 27:43.22.[10][11] Brutal humidity meant that the winning time of 27:43.22 was the slowest in an Olympic final since 1992, but Barega's close was sublime as he ripped the last kilometer in 2:24.9 and last lap in 53.94.[12] This win makes him the fourth Ethiopian to win the 10,000m title at the Olympics, the other three being Kenenisa Bekele (2004,2008), Haile Gebrselassie (1996,2000), and Miruts Yifter (1980).[13]

International competitions[]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Ethiopia
2016 World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 1st 5000 m 13:21.21
2017 African U20 Championships Tlemcen, Algeria 1st 5000 m 13:51.43
World U18 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 1st 3000 m 7:47.16
World Championships London, United Kingdom 5th 5000 m 13:35.34
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 2nd 3000 m 8:15.59
African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 4th 5000 m 13:52.27
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 2nd 5000 m 12:59.70
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 1st 10,000 m 27:43:22

Personal bests[]

[14] Outdoor

  • 1500 metres – 3:32.97 (Doha 2020)
  • 3000 metres – 7:32.17 (Oslo 2019)
  • Two miles – 8:08.69 (Eugene 2019) (WJB)
  • 5000 metres – 12:43.02 (Brussels 2018) (World U20 Record)
  • 10000 metres - 26:49.46 (Hengelo 2019)

Indoor

References[]

  1. ^ Selemon Barega at World Athletics
  2. ^ Borenstein, Hannah. "Barega's success, built on hard work and determination." World Athletics, 11 May 2021, www.worldathletics.org/news/feature/ selemon-barega-hard-work-determination. Accessed 15 June 2021.
  3. ^ "5000 Metres Men." World Atletics, worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/ middle-long/5000-metres/outdoor/men/ senior?regionType=world&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true&firstDay=1899-12-31&lastDay=2 021-06-14. Accessed 15 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Results Senior Race Men." World Athletics Cross Country Championships, www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-championships/ iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-aarhus-7125363/results/men/senior-race/ final/result. Accessed 15 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Athlete Profile Jacob Kiplimo." World Athletics, www.worldathletics.org/ athletes/uganda/jacob-kiplimo-14735365. Accessed 15 June 2021.
  6. ^ "3000 Metres Men." World Athletics, worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/ middle-long/3000-metres/indoor/men/ senior?regionType=world&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true&oversizedTrack=regular&firstD ay=1899-12-31&lastDay=2021-06-14. Accessed 15 June 2021.
  7. ^ "1500 Metres Men." World Athletics, worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/ middle-long/1500-metres/indoor/men/ senior?regionType=world&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true&oversizedTrack=regular&firstD ay=1899-12-31&lastDay=2021-06-14. Accessed 15 June 2021.
  8. ^ "5000 Metres Men." World Athletics, www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/ middle-long/5000-metres/outdoor/men/senior/ 2021?regionType=world&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true. Accessed 16 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Athlete Profile Selemon Barega." World Athletics, worldathletics.org/athletes/ ethiopia/selemon-barega-14751317. Accessed 15 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Selemon Barega wins men's 10,000m in first athletics final of Tokyo 2020". Tokyo 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Ethiopia's Barega wins first track gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  12. ^ AP. "Athletics: Ethiopia's Selemon Barega wins first track gold of Tokyo Olympics in 10,000m race". Sportstar. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  13. ^ George Ramsay (30 July 2021). "Selemon Barega wins 10,000m gold at the Tokyo Olympics despite Uganda's tactical approach". CNN. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Profile of Selemon BAREGA". All-Athletics.com. Retrieved 15 August 2017.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""