Abebe Bikila 1960, 64& Feyisa Lilesa 2016

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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Farah, Gebrselassie, and Bekele to Clash at Great North Run | Runner's World & Running Times

Farah, Gebrselassie, and Bekele to Clash at Great North Run

The three men have ruled their distance-running eras.

Published
July 30, 2013
KenenisaBekele
Every man who, since 1993, has had an undisputed claim to being called the world’s greatest distance runner will face in the Great North Run, the English-half marathon, on September 15. Yes, Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia and Mo Farah of Great Britain will be in the same road race.
Superlatives from race officials make us squeamish, but Great North Run founder Brendan Foster’s claim, “No one could ask for a better ‘dream team’ to participate in their event” is on point in terms of distance running history. “We’ve had many fantastic races down the Newcastle to South Shields course in past years, but this will be a competition everyone in the athletics world will want to watch,” submits Foster in an article atTheSportReview.com.
Gebrselassie’s reign atop the distance world began in 1993 with the first of four straight world championships 10,000-meter gold medals, mixed in with Olympic gold in the 10,000 in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. He set his first of many track world records in 1994, eventually bringing his bests down to 12:39.36 and 26.22.75 in 1998.
Later switching to the roads, Gebrselassie set his first marathon world record of 2:04:26 in Berlin in 2007 and lowered that mark to 2:03:59 a year later, again in Berlin. He won the Great North Run three years ago in 59:33. In 2013, just four days short of his 40th birthday, Gebrselassie won the Vienna City Half Marathon in 1:01:14. Subsequently, in Bern, Switzerland in May, he set a world masters 10-mile record of 46:59.
Kenenisa Bekele had some losses to his charismatic countryman early in his career, but in 2003, at age 21, he earned the first of his four world championships 10,000-meter golds. He was the Olympic 10,000-meter gold medalist in Athens in 2004, and in 2008 in Beijing he won the 10,000 and the 5000, a feat he repeated at the 2009 world championships.
He’s the current world record holder for 5000 (12:37.35) and 10,000 (26:17.53) meters. Bekele was much more active, and successful, in cross country, than Gebrselassie, winning the 12-K at the world cross country championships six times and the now defunct 4-K race five times.
Struggling to return from injury, Bekele was fourth in the 10,000 at the 2012 London Olympics. He is an Ethiopian alternate for the 10,000 at the upcoming world championships in Moscow. The Great North Run will be his first half-marathon.
Mo Farah hasn’t yet turned in the spectacular times of his two Ethiopian predecessors, but he’s been remarkably adept, in the last couple of years, at winning the important races: the 10,000 and 5000 at last year’s London Games, the 5000 (and a 10,000 silver) at the 2011 world championships, and a pile of Diamond League victories. In one of his earliest significant road ventures, Farah won the 2011 NYC Half Marathon in 1:00:23. In February of this year, he triumphed at the Rock 'n’ Roll New Orleans Half Marathon in 1:00:59.
Farah will run the 5000 and 10,000 at the world championships in Moscow, but won’t do Diamond League track races in cities like Brussels, Berlin, and Zurich after that. He’s made clear he’ll focus on preparing for the Great North Run, quite probably as a precursor to doing the 2014 London Marathon.
Farah’s rise in the sport comes at a later age than did Gebrselassie’s or Bekele’s. It might be tempting to refer to them as three “generations” of distance runners, but Bekele is only about nine months older than Farah, who’s 30.
Gebrselassie, the elder, insists, “I can still compete at the highest level and I look forward to giving both of them a run for their money.” Bekele, meanwhile, observes, “It’s not going to be easy for me as the others have more experience over the distance and yes, I am the newcomer just starting to pursue a serious road running career. But I’ll be coming to the race fully prepared and determined to give it my best shot against two great athletes.”

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Ethiopia advances on penalty kicks

Ethiopia advances on penalty kicks

Sisay BanchaKigali, Rwanda - The Ethiopian national soccer team “The Walias” advanced to the finals of the Orange African Nations Championship after defeating Rwanda 6-5 on penalty kicks.
The Walias, who won the first leg match 1-0, and Rwanda did likewise today during regulation time. So the faith of the two teams were left to be decided on penalty kicks.
The two teams were tied 4-4 after the first set of penalty kicks. So, a second round of penalty kicks were need. Ethiopia’s goalie Sisay Bancha saved one and Minhyahil Teshome Beyene, redeemed himself by scoring the decisive and crucial goal.
Asrat Megersa scored Ethiopia’s goal during the first leg match.
EthioSports would like to congratulate the Ethiopian national team players and coaching staff for a great result!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Haile Gebrselassie to Enter Ethiopian Politics | Runner's World & Running Times

Haile Gebrselassie to Enter Ethiopian Politics

Former world record holder will run for parliament, maybe president.

Published
July 9, 2013
HaileGebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie will run for a seat in the Ethiopian parliament in 2015, and would consider becoming the country's president,the Associated Press reports.
"My time [as a world-class runner] is almost over," Gebrselassie told the Associated Press on Monday. "[It's] a big mistake … to say let me avoid [politics]."
Gebrselassie said he would run as an independent for parliament, rather than as a member of the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. The next scheduled national election is for 2015; the elections have been held every five years since 1995. After the 2005 election, Gebrselassie helped to broker the release of jailed members of an opposition party.
Gebrselassie also told the Associated Press that he might run for president, a post that's filled by voting in the two houses of the Ethiopian parliament. The current president, Girma Wolde-Giorgis, was re-elected in 2007. The next presidential election is scheduled for September of this year. In Ethiopia's parliamentary system, the president is the head of state, while the prime minister is the head of government, and wields more power.
Gebrselassie, who has held world records from 2000 meters indoors to the marathon, and who won two Olympic gold medals at 10,000 meters, turned 40 in April. In May, he set masters world records at 10-K and 10 miles. He has not announced whether he'll run a fall marathon, where he would likely try to break the masters world record of 2:08:46.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Ethiopia’s Dibaba Tirunesh set another records at Diamond meet - More sports - StarAfrica.comMore sports – StarAfrica.com

Ethiopia’s Dibaba Tirunesh set another records at Diamond meet - More sports - StarAfrica.comMore sports – StarAfrica.com: " Paris Diamond League meet "
The London Olympic champion and World Record holder erased the Paris meet record (14:27.41) established by Kenya’s Cheruiyot Vivian Jepkemoi in 2010.
Dibaba beat her fellow Ethiopians Ayana Almaz (14:25.84 PB) at the second position and Burka Gelete (14:42.07 SB) while the other Ethiopians Diriba Buze (15:01.44) and  Haroye Alemitu (15:11.78) placed fifth and sixth respectively.


Monday, July 1, 2013

Ethiopia stripped of qualifying win - Football - Al Jazeera English


South Africa return to race for World Cup places as Ethiopia forfeit three points for fielding an ineligible player.


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Botswana were awarded victory after Ethiopia fielded suspended midfielder Minyahile Bayene [AFP]
Ethiopia were stripped of three points in World Cup qualifying by FIFA on Monday for fielding an ineligible player in a game against Botswana, handing South Africa a lifeline for next year's tournament in Brazil.
FIFA said Ethiopia forfeited their 2-1 win in Botswana on June 8 because Minyahile Beyene played in that game when he was suspended for receiving two yellow cards in earlier qualifiers. FIFA has awarded the match to Botswana 3-0.
The sanction means Ethiopia are now only two points ahead of South Africa and three ahead of Botswana and not guaranteed a place in Africa's final playoffs for the World Cup ahead of the final round of Group A games in September.
FIFA's disciplinary committee also fined Ethiopia's federation $6,348.
Administrative blunder
The Ethiopian Football Federation is unlikely to appeal the punishment having already admitted that Minyahile should not have played in Botswana.
Minyahile was allowed to play because of an administrative blunder where officials "forgot'' he was suspended, the federation said.
Ethiopia went on to beat South Africa 2-1 at home in their latest game on June 16 and thought then that they had qualified for the 10-team playoffs, which will decide Africa's five countries at the World Cup in Brazil. Ethiopia have never played at the World Cup.
However, FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Ethiopia over Minyahile on the same day they joyously celebrated their progress.
South Africa, the 2010 World Cup hosts, are on eight points and at home to Botswana in the final round of games on September 6. Ethiopia, now on 10 points, face an away game against Central African Republic, which could be played in neutral territory because of ongoing unrest in the country.
Botswana, now with seven points, have an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs if they beat South Africa and Ethiopia lose to Central African Republic, which cannot qualify.
FIFA also is investigating two other African countries - Togo and Equatorial Guinea - for allegedly fielding ineligible players in World Cup qualifying, which could throw two other groups into chaos.
Togo could forfeit their 2-0 win over Cameroon in Group I, which would put Cameroon above Libya and in pole position to take that group's spot in the playoffs.
Equatorial Guinea could forfeit points to Cape Verde in Group B, meaning Tunisia's progress to the playoffs is not yet certain.
Source:
AP

Ethiopia lose points for fielding ineligible player for the World Cup-BBC Sport


Ethiopia have had to forfeit a win over Botswana in a 2014 World Cup qualifier after Fifa ruled the Walya Antelopes fielded an ineligible player.
Minyahil Teshome Beyene should have missed the match having picked up two yellow cards in previous qualifiers.
Fifa overturned the original 2-1 win for Ethiopia in the 8 June match and handed Botswana a 3-0 victory.
It means Ethiopia's Group A rivals South Africa and Botswana are now in with a chance of progressing.
The Ethiopia Football Federation has also been fined US$ 6,300 for the breach of Fifa's disciplinary code.
President of the Ethiopia Football Federation, Sahilu Gebremariam, had already told BBC Sport that there will be no appeal against the decision.
He admitted "it's a management blunder" and said "we have accepted the Fifa discipline issue".
Although Ethiopia remain top of their group, they now lead 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa by only two points going into the final round of matches in September.
Botswana would also have an outside chance of finishing top on goal difference.
To do that they would have win in South Africa and hope Ethiopia lost away to Central African Republic in the final group matches.
If that were to happen Botswana and Ethiopia would be level on 10 points and goal difference would decide who progressed
Only the 10 group winners from the second round advance to contest in the final two-legged play-offs to decide the five nations who will qualify for Brazil 2014.