Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana, the 2016 Rio Olympics 10,000m gold medalist, is set to lead the lineup of elite athletes in the women’s category at the upcoming 18th Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, recognized as a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race in New Delhi. Let’s delve into Almaz’s background.
Almaz Ayana Eba hails from Ethiopia and is a distinguished long-distance runner. Her impressive achievements include clinching the gold medal in the 10,000 meters and a bronze in the 5,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In addition to her Olympic glory, Almaz boasts four medals from the World Athletics Championships. She secured a bronze in the 5,000m in 2013, followed by gold in the same event in 2015. Furthermore, she captured gold in the 10,000m and silver in the 5,000m during the 2017 championships.
On June 2, 2016, Almaz achieved a remarkable personal best in the 5,000 meters, clocking in at 14:12.59 during the Rome Diamond League event. This incredible performance made her the second-fastest woman in history at this distance, narrowly trailing Tirunesh Dibaba’s world record of 14:11.15, and it also marked the establishment of a new circuit record.
More about Almaz Ayana:
Almaz Ayana was born in Wenbera, Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. She is the seventh youngest among nine siblings and began her running journey in a local school when she was around 13-14 years old.
In addition to her native Oromo language, Almaz is proficient in Amharic and English. The name “Almaz” holds the meaning of “diamond” in Amharic.
Almaz is happily married to her childhood friend and long-time partner, Soressa Fida, and she is a devout Christian.
However, Almaz’s stellar performances haven’t been without controversy. Concerns arose due to the lax drug testing regime in Ethiopia and the doping scandals that had plagued athletics leading up to the Rio Olympics. British commentators Brendan Foster and Paula Radcliffe, both former world record holders in distance events, expressed skepticism about Almaz’s achievements. Fellow competitors even reported that she appeared unwell before a race. Nevertheless, in her post-race press conference, Almaz attributed her success solely to rigorous training.
Fans and enthusiasts eagerly await the opportunity to witness Almaz Ayana in action in Delhi on October 15. It promises to be a captivating spectacle.