Ejegayehu Dibaba

{{short description|Ethiopian long-distance runner|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Ejegayehu Dibaba

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| image = Ejigu, Dibaba Birmingham meeting 2010.jpg

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| native_name = Ijigaayoo Dibaabaa

| native_name_lang = om

| birth_name = እጅጋዬሁ ዲባባ

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|03|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bekoji, Arsi Province, Ethiopia

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| relatives = Tirunesh and Genzebe Dibaba (sisters),
Derartu Tulu (cousin)

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| country = Ethiopia

| sport = Athletics

| event = Long-distance running

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{{Medal|Country|{{ETH}}}}

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Ejegayehu Dibaba Keneni ({{langx|om|Ijigaayoo Dibaabaa}}; Amharic: እጅጋዬሁ ዲባባ, born 21 March 1982) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Ejegayehu earned bronze medals in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres events at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. She took gold medals in the 10,000 m at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and All-Africa Games.

Ejegayehu comes from a sporting family of several Olympic medalists, including her sisters Tirunesh and Genzebe, and her cousin Derartu Tulu.{{Cite web |title=Africa News Channel |url=https://www.africanewschannel.org/news/fastest-runner-family-in-the-world/ }}

Early life

She was born in Chefe, Ethiopia.{{Cite web |title=Athletics Podium |url=https://athleticspodium.com/athlete/26617/ejegayehu-dibaba |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Athletics Podium |language=en}}

Career

Ejegayehu Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner from the high-altitude Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. She is the third child of six. Her younger sisters Tirunesh and Genzebe are also international long-distance athletes, and brother Dejene is marked as a future star. Like her sister Tirunesh, her cousin Derartu Tulu is a double Olympic gold medallist (1992 and 2000).

Ejegayehu beat her cousin to take the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, her two bronze medals at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics were behind her sister winning the gold in the final sprint.

She took part in a 7 km race at the Memorial Peppe Greco in September 2010 and took second place behind Sylvia Kibet.{{cite news|last=Zorzi|first=Alberto|date=27 September 2010|title=Soi and Kibet take victories in Scili|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/soi-and-kibet-take-victories-in-scili|publisher=IAAF|access-date=7 May 2016}}

Ejegayehu made her debut over the marathon distance at the 2011 Chicago Marathon and defeated Kayoko Fukushi by 2 minutes, 29 seconds in making her marathon debut at 2:22:09, the third fastest debut time and easy win.{{cite news|last=Ferstle|first=Jim|date=9 October 2011|url= http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/mosop-and-shobukova-scorch-to-chicago-titles|title=Mosop and Shobukova scorch to Chicago titles - UPDATED|publisher=IAAF|access-date=7 May 2016}} Although she finished second, she was subsequently awarded the win in 2014 when Lilya Shobukova was subsequently disqualified for a doping scheme. See Doping in Russia for details on Shobukova's incident leading to disqualification.

Ejegayehu Dibaba is 1.60 m tall and weighs 46 kg.