:Genzebe Dibaba

Genzebe Dibaba is a member of the Oromo ethnic group from the high altitude Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region and comes from an athletic family. Her older sister Tirunesh is a celebrated athlete who won many major medals. Another older sister, Ejegayehu, won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and her brother Dejene is also an athlete. Her cousin is Derartu Tulu, the 1992 and 2000 Olympic champion in 10,000 m.{{cite news|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/dibaba-sisters-make-it-a-family-affair-edin|title=Dibaba sisters make it a family affair – Edinburgh 2008|publisher=IAAF|date=30 March 2008|access-date=7 May 2016}}

Genzebe won the junior women's title at both the 2008{{cite news|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/junior-womens-race-report-edinburgh-2008|title=Junior Women's Race Report – Edinburgh 2008|publisher=IAAF|date=30 March 2008|access-date=7 May 2016}} and 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships{{cite news|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/genzebe-keeps-the-dibaba-family-at-the-top-of-1|title=Genzebe keeps the Dibaba family at the top of the world – Amman 2009|publisher=IAAF|access-date=7 May 2016}} and finished fifth in the same event in 2007. She became the second junior woman ever to win two junior cross country championships in a row. She also competed in IAAF Golden League meetings, including the Reebok Grand Prix and the Oslo Bislett Games. At the 2008 Bislett Games, Genzebe recorded a personal best time of 15:02.41 in the 5000 metres, during the same race where her sister Tirunesh set a new world record.[http://www.iaaf.org/gle08/results/eventcode=3932/sex=W/disccode=5000/combcode=hash/roundcode=f/index.html Golden League 2008 – Bislett Games 5000 Metres W Results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608230329/http://iaaf.org/gle08/results/eventcode%3D3932/sex%3DW/disccode%3D5000/combcode%3Dhash/roundcode%3Df/index.html |date=2008-06-08 }}. IAAF. 6 June 2008. She did the same a year later in the same race, improving her personal best by more than five seconds.

After winning the 5000 m at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships, she was included in the Ethiopian squad for the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships. In Berlin she replaced Tirunesh on Ethiopia's 5000 m team, who withdrew due to injury. Genzebe ran an excellent heat, finishing fourth and qualifying for the final where, in her first major senior championship race, she finished in eighth position. She also won the 5000 m gold at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships.

She began her 2009–10 cross country campaign with a win at the Cross de Atapuerca.{{cite news|last=Valiente|first=Emeterio|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/gebremariam-and-g-dibaba-secure-ethiopian-dou|title=Gebremariam and G. Dibaba secure Ethiopian double in Atapuerca|publisher=IAAF|date=8 November 2009|access-date=7 May 2016}} She also competed indoors, improving her 1500 m best to 4:04.80 at the Indoor Flanders meeting.{{cite news|last=Hendrix|first=Ivo|date=15 February 2010|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/koech-clocks-world-best-in-2000m-steeplechase|title=Koech clocks World best in 2000m Steeplechase, G. Dibaba impresses in Gent|publisher=IAAF|access-date=7 May 2016}} Despite her wins on the senior circuit, she failed to complete a hat-trick of junior race titles at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She performed far below expectations, ending up in eleventh and barely making it into the silver medal-winning Ethiopian team.{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Len|date=28 March 2010|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/cherono-sets-the-record-straight-womens-jun|title=Cherono sets the record straight – Women's Junior race report – Bydgoszcz 2010|publisher=IAAF|access-date=7 May 2016}} Her fortunes improved at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics as she defeated the junior cross country winner Mercy Cherono to take the 5000 m gold in a championship record time.{{cite news|last=Morse |first=Parker |date=22 July 2010 |url=http://www.iaaf.org/WJC10/news/kind=108/newsid=57558.html |title=Women's 5000m final |publisher=IAAF |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124032532/http://www.iaaf.org/WJC10/news/kind%3D108/newsid%3D57558.html |archive-date=24 November 2010 |url-status=dead }} In November, she took a second consecutive victory at the Cross de Atapuerca, taking a prominent scalp in Emily Chebet (the reigning senior champion).{{cite news|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/medhin-and-dibaba-outclass-world-champions-in|title= Medhin and Dibaba outclass World champions in Atapuerca|last=Valiente|first=Emeterio|date=7 November 2010|publisher=IAAF|access-date=7 May 2016}}

File:Genzebe Dibaba Istanbul 2012.jpg]]

She was the runner-up at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in January 2011 behind Linet Masai.{{cite news|last=Wenig|first=Jörg|date=8 January 2011|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/kipchoge-and-masai-prevail-in-snowy-edinburgh|title=Kipchoge and Masai prevail in snowy Edinburgh|publisher=IAAF|access-date=7 May 2016}} She placed ninth at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships two months later. Genzebe improved her 5000 m best to 14:37.56 minutes at the Bislett Games and went on to place eighth in the event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. After this point she began to move away from the 5000 m and focus on the 1500 metres instead – a move which paid significant dividends for her career.

She began 2012 with the fifth fastest ever indoor 1500 m, winning the Weltklasse in Karlsruhe in 4:00.13 minutes.{{cite news|last=Mulkeen|first=Jon|date=13 February 2012|url=http://www.athleticsweekly.com/0/admin/news/dibaba-runs-fifth-fastest-indoor-1500m-ever-in-karlsruhe-sprint-world-leads-set-in-fayetteville/|title=Dibaba runs fifth fastest indoor 1500m ever in Karlsruhe, sprint world leads set in Fayetteville|work=Athletics Weekly|access-date=7 May 2016|archive-date=4 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004175836/http://www.athleticsweekly.com/0/admin/news/dibaba-runs-fifth-fastest-indoor-1500m-ever-in-karlsruhe-sprint-world-leads-set-in-fayetteville/|url-status=dead}} A win at the Aviva Indoor Grand Prix preceded her first world title at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships.{{cite news|last=Ramsak|first=Bob|date=10 March 2012|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/event-report-womens-1500-metres-final|title=EVENT REPORT - Women's 1500 Metres - Final|publisher=IAAF|access-date=17 February 2013}} Turning to the outdoor track, Genzebe ran an Ethiopian record time of 3:57.77 minutes at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Len|date=19 May 2012|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/liu-xiang-and-g-dibaba-the-standouts-in-rainy|title=Liu Xiang and G. Dibaba the standouts in rainy Shanghai – Samsung Diamond League|publisher=IAAF|access-date=17 February 2013}} She was third at the Golden Gala and runner-up at the Bislett Games. She was selected for the 2012 London Olympics, but a hamstring injury in the final lap of her heat saw her eliminated from the competition.{{cite news|last=Ramsak|first=Bob |date=6 August 2012|title=London 2012 - Event Report - Women's 1500m Heats|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/london-2012-event-report-womens-1500m-hea|publisher=IAAF|access-date=17 February 2013}}

File:Genzebe Dibaba Sopot 2014.jpg in Sopot]]

Genzebe opened 2013 on grass, winning the 3 km competition at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country,{{cite news|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/dibaba-dashes-defars-hopes-with-speedy-finish|title= Dibaba dashes Defar's hopes with speedy finish in Edinburgh|publisher=IAAF|date=5 January 2013|access-date=17 February 2013}} then took two indoor wins in Karlsruhe and Birmingham.

On 1 February 2014, in Karlsruhe, Germany, Genzebe ran 3:55.17 in the 1500 m indoor event, beating the previous indoor world record by over 3 seconds. This mark was the fastest 1500 m in the world, indoor or outdoor, since 1997.[http://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/rise-rise-genzebe-dibaba-871/ The rise and rise of Genzebe Dibaba]. Athletics Weekly (26 February 2014). Retrieved 2 April 2015.

Five days later, she improved the world indoor record in the 3000 metres to 8:16.60 at the XL Galan meet in Stockholm, Sweden. In that one race, Genzebe improved her own personal record by over thirty seconds, the world record by almost seven, and even though it was set on a shorter track indoors, her time was the number four time at the distance ever. Only on one occasion has the time been bettered, that was the 1993 Chinese National Games, when three athletes Wang Junxia, Qu Yunxia and Zhang Linli set the event on its ear, running times that had previously not been approached in two decades. In the month of February and in just 15 days Genzebe broke her third world record at indoor two-mile race at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix; nine minutes and 0.48 seconds was her new record that shattered Meseret Defar previous best by six seconds.{{Cite web |url=http://en.omriyadat.com/african-athletics/ethiopian-distances-itself-from-dibaba-coach-after-doping-arrest |title=Ethiopian distances itself from Dibaba coach after doping arrest |access-date=2016-08-08 |archive-date=2016-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827013256/http://en.omriyadat.com/african-athletics/ethiopian-distances-itself-from-dibaba-coach-after-doping-arrest |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.ethioinfodesk.com/index.php/sports |title=Sports |access-date=2014-02-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226111924/http://www.ethioinfodesk.com/index.php/sports |archive-date=2014-02-26 }}

With these records, Genzebe is one of only three athletes in history to break three world records in three different events within 15 days, joining Jesse Owens, who set three world records and tied another within 1 hour,{{cite magazine |last1=Rothschild |first1=Richard |title=Greatest 45 minutes ever in sports |url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/05/24/owens-recordday |access-date=2019-12-10 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=24 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809234203/https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/05/24/owens-recordday |archive-date=2016-08-09 |url-status=unfit}} and Usain Bolt. She stands alone as the only one to do this feat in three different cities and meets, and in all individual events under FAT.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

In summer IAAF Diamond League competition, Genzebe won the 1500 m at Monaco.

File:Genzebe Dibaba, BG2015.JPG in Oslo in 2015]]

During 2015 Genzebe changed shoe sponsor. In February in XL-Galan, Stockholm, she ran for Adidas, and in March in Carlsbad (CA, USA), she had her first official competition in Nike dress in the 5k-race, where she missed the world record by a small margin.{{cite web |last1=Mulkeen |first1=Jon |title=Dibaba runs second-fastest 5km in history at Carlsbad 5000 |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/carlsbad-5000-2015-genzebe-dibaba-lalang |website=World Athletics |access-date=1 September 2020 |date=29 March 2015}} The change of sponsor was associated with the change of manager – from Dutch Jos Hermens (Global Sports Communication) to Swedish Ulf Saletti. The manager change happened a few months before the sponsor change. Saletti was a meeting director at Stockholm XL-Galan where she on 19 February 2015 repeated the achievement from the year before by setting a world record, now at the 5000 metres with 14:18.86.

Genzebe won the women's 5000 m at the 2015 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, in a then-personal best time of 14:19.76.[http://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&mgroup_event_id=120&year=2015&do=videos&video_id=147053 Women's 5000 m - Nike Prefontaine Classic 2015] USATF. She then went on to win the 5000 m at the Diamond League Meet Areva in Paris on July 4 in a new personal best time of 14:15:41. This was her fifth 5000 metres run under 14:30. Only four days later, in Barcelona, she set a new African record for the 1500 m of 3:54.11 ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsHbKBclFiU video]), virtually single-handedly running the fastest 1500 m in the world in 18 years{{cite news|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/genzebe-dibaba-1500m-barcelona|title=Genzebe Dibaba sets African 1500m record of 3:54.11 in Barcelona|publisher=IAAF|date=8 July 2015}} and the ninth fastest of all time. Six of the eight fastest times ahead of her occurred in two races at the 1993 Chinese National Games, where much of the running community believes the communist government was sponsoring a doping scheme in the days before serious drug testing was required. On 17 July 2015 in Monaco, Genzebe broke the 1500 m world record, which had previously been considered near-unbreakable, in a time of 3:50:07.{{Cite web|last=Mulkeen|first=Jon|date=2015-07-18|title=Dibaba breaks 1500m world record in Monaco with 3:50.07 – IAAF Diamond League|url=https://worldathletics.org/news/report/monaco-diamond-league-2015-dibaba-world-recor|access-date=2021-01-01|website=World Athletics}}

File:Women's 1500 m podium Beijing 2015.jpg (L) and Sifan Hassan (R) at the medal ceremony during the 2015 World Championships in Beijing]]

At the World Championships in Beijing, she took the 1500 m title and claimed the bronze medal in the 5000 m event.

She was named the IAAF women's World Athlete of the Year for 2015.{{cite news|title=IAAF: Eaton Dibaba 2015 World Athletes|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/eaton-dibaba-2015-world-athletes|publisher= IAAF|access-date=24 January 2016}}

In February 2016, Genzebe competed in Stockholm's Globen Galan meeting. She ran the indoor mile in 4 minutes and 13.31 seconds, breaking Doina Melinte's 26-year-old world record of 4:17.14, which had been set in 1990.{{cite news|title=Genzebe Dibaba and Ayanleh Souleiman break world indoor records|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/feb/17/genzebe-dibaba-ayanleh-souleiman-world-indoor-records-globen-galan-stockholm|access-date=18 February 2016}} In April, she pulled out of the Dubai Athletics President's Cup 10,000 m Olympic qualifier race due to an injury in her left foot.{{cite web|last1=Abulleil|first1=Reem|title=Genzebe Dibaba pulls out of Dubai 10,000m race with injury|url=http://sport360.com/article/other/athletics/175922/genzebe-dibaba-pulls-out-of-dubai-10000m-race-with-injury/|website=Sport 360|access-date=14 August 2016}} In a track meet in Barcelona on 30 June, she failed to finish a 5000 m race due to an injury. She was removed from the track in a wheelchair.{{cite web|title=Genzebe Dibaba fails to finish 5k race in Barcelona|url=http://www.watchathletics.com/article/9654/genzebe-dibaba-fails-to-finsh-5k-race-in-barcelona/|website=Watch Athletics|access-date=14 August 2016}}

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Dibaba ran the women's 1500 m. She won her heat (one out of 3) in 4:10.61. In the semifinals (one out of 2) she was the fastest runner with 4.03.06. The final was won by Faith Kipyegon in a time of 4:08.92. Genzebe took the silver medal in a time of 4:10.27 and Jenny Simpson placed third with 4:10.53.{{Cite web|title=Rio 2016 - Athletics - 1500m Women|url=https://www.olympic.org/rio-2016/athletics/1500m-women|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Olympic.org|language=en}}

Genzebe broke the 2000 m indoor world record and also the absolute world record, because it lowered the outdoor mark as well, on 7 February 2017 in Sabadell (Spain). She ran the distance in 5:23.75, an improvement on the former indoor best by Gabriela Szabo from 1998 by 6 seconds. The outdoor world record was set by Sonia O'Sullivan with 5:25.36.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/genzebe-dibaba-sabadell-2000m-world-indoor-be|title=Dibaba breaks world 2000m record in Sabadell{{!}} News {{!}} iaaf.org|website=www.iaaf.org|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/ethiopia/genzebe-dibaba-226511|title=Genzebe DIBABA {{!}} Profile {{!}} iaaf.org|website=www.iaaf.org|access-date=2019-06-06}}

An illness prevented her from running in her usual form at the 2017 World Athletics Championships, where she finished 12th in the 1500 metres.{{cite web| url = https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/iaaf-world-championships-london-2017-5151/results/women/1500-metres/final/result| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170808075150/https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/iaaf-world-championships-london-2017-5151/results/women/1500-metres/final/result| archive-date = 2017-08-08| title = 1500 Metres Result {{!}} IAAF World Championships London 2017 {{!}} iaaf.org}} and later pulled off from the 5000 m event.

Since September she was coached by Hussein Shibo and Tolera Dinka.{{cite news |last1=Cullum |first1=Barney |title=Return of land bonuses driving Ethiopian athletics success, not drugs, says gold medal winner Yomif Kejelcha |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/ethiopia-athletics-success-yomif-kejelcha-genzebe-dibaba-land-bonuses-not-drugs-a8245936.html |work=The Independent |date=8 March 2018}}

At the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, she won the 1500 m{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/results/iaaf-world-indoor-championships/2018/iaaf-world-indoor-championships-6019/women/1500-metres/final/result#resultheader|title=IAAF: 1500 Metres Result {{!}} IAAF World Indoor Championships {{!}} iaaf.org|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-03-20}} and the 3000 m.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/world-indoor-birmingham-2018-women-3000|title=IAAF: Report: women's 3000m – IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018{{!}} News {{!}} iaaf.org|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-03-20}}

Genzebe won the Golden Gala 1500 m in Rome on 6 June in a time of 3:56.28. She went to Rabat on 16 June and took victory over the distance in 3:55.47.{{Cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ethiopia/genzebe-dibaba-226511|title=Genzebe DIBABA {{!}} Profile|website=worldathletics.org|access-date=2020-03-26}}

In the 1500 m Diamond League Final on 29 August in Zürich, Genzebe finished fourth in 4:00.86. The final was won by Sifan Hassan in 3:57.08, Konstanze Klosterhalfen was the runner up with 3:59.02 and Gabriela DeBues-Stafford placed third in 3:59.59.{{Cite web|url=http://static.sportresult.com/sports/at/data/2019/zurich/re1130040.pdf|title=1500 m women 2019 Diamond League final Zürich|access-date=2020-03-26|archive-date=2019-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901123854/http://static.sportresult.com/sports/at/data/2019/zurich/re1130040.pdf|url-status=dead}}

In her first race of any kind since August 2019, Genzebe won the delayed Valencia Half Marathon in December 2020 with a time of 65:18. It was the fastest half marathon debut by a woman in history at the time.{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Jason |date=2020-12-06 |title=Half-marathon record shattered in Valencia |url=https://athleticsweekly.com/featured/half-marathon-record-shattered-in-valencia-1039938071/ |access-date=2020-12-06 |website=AW |language=en-GB}}

On 16 October 2022, she debuted in the marathon at the Amsterdam Marathon, placing second behind Almaz Ayana with a time of 2:18:05, a performance which ranked her in the world all-time top 20.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-16 |title=Ayana runs fastest ever women's marathon debut with 2:17:20 in Amsterdam |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/report/amsterdam-marathon-2022-ayana-getachew |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=World Athletics}}

File:Genzebe Dibaba by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg in Sopot]]

All information taken from World Athletics profile.

• Diamond League Overall winner 5000 m: 24px 2015{{Cite web|date=2015-09-11|title=IAAF Diamond League, Brussels (BEL), 11 September 2015 – Diamond Race Standings|url=https://www.diamondleague.com/fileadmin/IDL_Default/files/documents/2015/Brussels/IAAFDiamondRanklist.pdf|access-date=2021-01-01|website=Diamond League|page=7}}
• 2012 (1) 1500 m: Shanghai Diamond League ({{AthAbbr|MR}} {{AthAbbr|NR}})
• 2013 (1) 5000 m: Shanghai
• 2014 (2) 5000 m: Rome Golden Gala, Monaco Herculis
• 2015 [4]: (3) 5000 m: Eugene Prefontaine Classic ({{AthAbbr|MR}}), Oslo Bislett Games, Meeting de Paris ({{AthAbbr|MR}}); (1) 1500 m: Monaco ({{AthAbbr|DLR}} {{AthAbbr|WR}})
• 2016 (1) 3000 m: Lausanne Athletissima
• 2017 [2]: (1) 5000 m: Eugene; (1) One mile: Lausanne ({{AthAbbr|MR}})
• 2018 (1) 5000 m: Eugene
• 2019 (2) 1500 m: Rome, Rabat Meeting ({{AthAbbr|MR}})

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{World Athletics}}
• [//www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6nCMRVG-Dc Genzebe Dibaba | At Home with the Ethiopian Athletics Star] Trans World Sport profile

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{{succession box|before=Qu Yunxia|title=Women's 1500 m world record holder|years=July 17, 2015 – June 2, 2023|after=Faith Kipyegon}}

{{succession box|before=Yelena Soboleva|title=Women's 1500 m world indoor record holder|years=February 1, 2014 – February 9, 2021|after=Gudaf Tsegay}}

{{succession box|before=Meseret Defar|title=Women's 3000 m world indoor record holder|years=February 6, 2014 – present|after=Incumbent}}

{{succession box|before=Meseret Defar|title=Women's 5000 m world indoor record holder|years=February 19, 2015 – present|after=Incumbent}}

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{{succession box|title=Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year|before= Missy Franklin|after=Serena Williams|years=2015}}

{{succession box|title=IAAF World Athlete of the Year|before=Valerie Adams|after=Almaz Ayana|years=2015}}

{{succession box|title=Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year|before=Anita Włodarczyk|after=Anita Włodarczyk|years=2015}}

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{{Footer IAAF Diamond League 5000 Metres Champions Women}}

{{IAAF World Athlete of the Year (women)}}

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Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

Category:Athletes from Oromia

Category:Ethiopian female long-distance runners

Category:Ethiopian female middle-distance runners

Category:Olympic female long-distance runners

Category:Olympic athletes for Ethiopia

Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)

Category:Olympic silver medalists for Ethiopia

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Ethiopia

Category:World Athletics Championships medalists

Category:World Athletics Championships winners

Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners

Category:IAAF Continental Cup winners

Category:Diamond League winners

Category:World Athletics record holders

Category:World Athletics indoor record holders

Category:Laureus World Sports Awards winners

Category:Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners