Sports archive at Tadias Magazine

« Older

Loading Newer »

Less

Excerpts Headlines Full Length

Sports Section

NYC Marathon Draws Over a Million Spectators

Published by Tadias Magazine November 4th, 2024 in News and Sports. Closed

Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands reacts after crossing the finish line to win the Professional Men’s Open Division during the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 3, 2024, in New York City. (Getty Images)

Tadias Magazine

By Tadias Staff

Updated: November 4th, 2024

New York (TADIAS) — The New York City Marathon once again transformed the city into a vibrant festival of resilience and camaraderie this weekend. Over a million spectators lined the streets of all five boroughs, cheering on more than 50,000 runners in the iconic race, now in its 54th year.

This year’s winners, Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya, achieved remarkable finishes with late surges of speed, yet the presence of Ethiopian runners remained a focal point for the community. Although they didn’t claim victory this time, their participation continued to inspire and underscored Ethiopia’s renowned legacy in distance running.

Among the notable participants was Tamirat Tola, the men’s defending champion and Paris Olympic gold medalist, who delivered an impressive performance despite finishing just shy of the podium in fourth place. Tamirat, who set the course record in last year’s marathon, was vying to become the first back-to-back men’s champion since Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai in 2011 and 2013—a record pursuit interrupted in 2012 due to bad weather.

Reflecting on his race, Tamirat told an AP reporter, “I had a good year. I won the Olympics and then to come back to New York after that, you know it’s a tough course. I know that I expended a lot of energy. Around the 33-kilometer mark I felt my muscle tighten, and my muscles just couldn’t handle it.”

Beyond the competition, many runners took part to honor loved ones, raise funds, or simply challenge themselves. From humorous signs poking fun at city institutions to families flying in from across the globe, the NYC Marathon proves each year that it’s more than a race; it’s a celebration of human spirit and collective support.

Abdi Nageeye, Sheila Chepkirui earn first NYC Marathon wins (AP)

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Abdi Nageeye and Sheila Chepkirui used strong kicks in the final mile to pull away from their nearest competitors and both win the New York City Marathon for the first time Sunday.

Nageeye, who became the first runner from the Netherlands to win the men’s race, was step-for-step with 2022 champion Evans Chebet before using a burst of speed heading into Central Park for the final time to come away with the win in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 39 seconds. Chebet finished 6 seconds behind.

“When I was finishing, the emotions weren’t there in the moment, but I just couldn’t believe that I was going to win it,” Nageeye said. “I felt like I was dreaming. Most people didn’t even expect me to be in the top five, but I know what I am capable of. This was my race today.”

He had run the New York race three times before with his best finish coming in 2022, when he was third.

“I know the course,” said Nageeye, who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. “Today was two things: survive that race and my race is after 36 (kilometers; 22 miles). I was thinking like a cyclist, survive 36K and you’re going to win.”

Nageeye ran in the Paris Olympic marathon, but dropped out about 10 miles in after a hard collision with Kenyan Alexander Mutiso before the halfway point.

Chepkirui was running New York for the first time and pulled away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the women’s race in the last stretch.

“Let me push the last mile, let me give it my best,” the Kenyan said. “When we were around 600 meters to go, I said to myself I have to push harder. When I saw Hellen wasn’t coming, I knew I was going to win and was so happy.”

Chepkirui, who started to run marathons in 2022, won in 2:24.35. Obiri finished nearly 15 seconds behind.

Obiri was looking to be the first consecutive champion since Mary Keitany of Kenya won three in a row from 2014-16. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya finished third, giving the African nation the top three spots. It was the first time ever that Kenyans had swept the women’s medal positions.

Tamirat Tola, the men’s defending champion and Paris Olympic gold medalist, finished fourth, right behind Albert Korir.

“I had a good year,” Tola told The Associated Press through a translator. “I won the Olympics and then to come back to New York after that, you know it’s a tough course. I know that I expended a lot of energy. Around the 33-kilometer mark I felt my muscle tighten and my muscles just couldn’t handle it.”

Tola, who set the course record last year, was looking to be the first back-to-back men’s champion since Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won in 2011 and 2013. The 2012 race was canceled because of Superstorm Sandy.

The top Americans finished sixth in both races. Conner Mantz led the men and Sara Vaughn the women. Vaughn was in the lead group heading into Mile 20 when they entered the Bronx before she dropped off the lead pack.

Vaughn was geared up to run Chicago before COVID-19 kept her from competing in that race. She was a late addition to this marathon.

The day got started with an upset in the men’s wheelchair race as three-time defending champion Marcel Hug was beaten by Daniel Romanchuk, who also won in 2018 and 2019. Susannah Scaroni won the women’s wheelchair race. It was her second victory in New York, also taking the 2022 race and giving Americans winners in both events — the first time that has happened.

The 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course took runners through all five boroughs of New York, starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park. This is the 48th year the race has been in all five boroughs. Before that, the route was completely in Central Park when it began in 1970. The first race had only 55 finishers while more than 50,000 competed this year.

A few hours after the top runners finished, it was announced that the Sydney Marathon would become the seventh world major marathon, joining Berlin, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, London and New York.

The weather was perfect to run in with temperatures in the lower 40s when the race started. Last year, it was 61 degrees when the race started.

—
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Ethiopia’s Golden Moment: Tamirat Tola Breaks Olympic Record in Paris

Published by Tadias Magazine August 10th, 2024 in Sports. Closed

Tamirat Tola’s win not only secured Ethiopia’s first gold medal at the Paris Games but also ended a 24-year wait for a men's marathon gold since Gezahegne Abera's triumph at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. (Tamirat Tola, Paris, August 10, 2024, Reuters)

Tadias Magazine

By Tadias Staff

Published: August 10th, 2024

New York (TADIAS) – In a stunning turn of events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola secured a historic victory in the men’s marathon, setting a new Olympic record with a time of 2:06:26. Tola’s triumph provided a much-needed boost for Ethiopia, which had faced several disappointments earlier in the Games, including the injury of Lamecha Girma during the steeplechase final.

Just two weeks ago, Tola was not even slated to compete. He was called up as a replacement after his teammate Sisay Lemma withdrew due to a hamstring injury. Despite the last-minute change, Tola delivered a performance that will be remembered for years to come. His victory not only marked Ethiopia’s first gold medal at the Paris Games but also ended a 24-year wait for a men’s marathon gold since Gezahegne Abera’s win at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

The marathon course in Paris, renowned for its toughness, was a challenge for all competitors, with steep ascents and the rising heat adding to the difficulty. However, Tola’s determination was unmatched. As he started from the Hotel de Ville, the weight of his nation’s expectations was palpable. “The mood in the Ethiopian camp has not been good,” Tola admitted. “Today is the tenth day since the athletics started, and I was really hoping to change that by winning.

And change it he did. As the race progressed, Tola steadily built a lead, pulling away from the pack after navigating the treacherous hills. His relentless pace and strategic approach left his competitors struggling to keep up. Even as he approached the final stages, Tola was cautious, frequently glancing back to ensure his lead was secure. “I didn’t put into my mind up to the last kilometre, because this is athletics, [I felt] somebody will [catch-up] and pass me. When I arrived at the 41km, I knew I have this, I am going to win. I was happy. I am so happy, I achieved my dream.”

Tamirat Tola’s victory is even more remarkable considering the circumstances leading up to his participation. As a reserve, he stepped in when his close friend and training partner, Sisay Lemma, had to withdraw. “This victory also belongs to him, he gave me the opportunity. I would like to thank him,” Tola said.

The significance of this win extends beyond the individual achievement. Ethiopia, known for its long-distance running prowess, had been searching for a gold medal at these Games, making Tola’s victory a moment of national pride and celebration. Kenenisa Bekele, a legendary Ethiopian runner who made a comeback at these Olympics, praised Tola’s performance: “He got a chance to participate quite late and still won the medal, that’s really special. Special for Ethiopia and more so for him. I am really happy for him.”

Earlier in the week, Ethiopia had faced disappointment when Lamecha Girma, a favorite in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, was stretchered off the track after a fall during the final. Girma, who had been the silver medalist in Tokyo 2021, was unable to finish the race, leaving the Ethiopian camp in a somber mood.

Tola’s victory in the marathon has lifted the spirits of Ethiopians, providing a much-needed moment of joy and pride. His story is one of resilience, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of excellence—an inspiration for many and a testament to the enduring strength of Ethiopian athletics.

As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, Tamirat Tola’s name will be etched in history, not just for his remarkable victory but for the hope and pride he brought to his nation in a time of need.

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook

Spotlight: Athletes From Ethiopia Dominate 2023 Los Angeles Marathon

Published by Tadias Magazine March 21st, 2023 in Sports. Closed

From left: Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia, Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia, the winner of the Los Angeles Marathon men's elite, and Barnaba Kipkoech of Kenya pose for a picture in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 19, 2023. (AP Photo)

Tadias Magazine

Updated: March 21st, 2023

Los Angeles (TADIAS) — Ethiopian athletes dominated the men’s division of the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon held on Sunday, claiming the first and second spots.

Jemal Yimer won the race, completing the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course in an impressive 2 hours, 13 minutes, 13.58 seconds, with his teammate Yemane Tsegay finishing second.

Barnaba Kipkoech of Kenya secured third place, while Hosava Kretzmann from Arizona was the top American men’s finisher, completing his first marathon in sixth place.

In the women’s division, Stacy Ndiwa from Kenya claimed the top spot, crossing the finish line in 2:31:00.24. Martha Akeno, also from Kenya, finished second, while Grace Kahura secured third place. Ashley Paulson from St. George, Utah, was the top American women’s finisher, coming in fourth place.

The marathon was held on a cloudy day with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees (15 Celsius), starting at Dodger Stadium and ending near Avenue of the Stars in Century City on Los Angeles’ westside.

Jemal Yimer, of Ethiopia, wins the men’s division of the Los Angeles Marathon in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 19, 2023. (AP Photo)

Yimer and Ndiwa each received $6,000 for their respective victories, with Ndiwa earning an additional $10,000 for finishing first. The men’s race began 15 minutes after the women’s race started.

The marathon showcased runners from various countries and backgrounds, making it an exciting and highly competitive event. The Los Angeles Marathon, one of the largest in the United States, is a popular annual event that attracts thousands of runners and spectators from all over the world, and all the participants deserve congratulations for their achievements!

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Q&A: Naomi Girma, U.S. National Soccer Team Prospect, on Her Ethiopia Roots

Published by Tadias Magazine March 15th, 2022 in Sports. Closed

Big things are expected of the rookie center back, who was selected first overall by the San Diego Wave ahead of the 2022 season. Naomi Girma was born and raised in San Jose, California, and both of her parents emigrated to the U.S. from Ethiopia. She spoke about how this dual upbring influenced her. (Photo: Wave)

GOAL

USWNT prospect Girma opens up on being the top NWSL pick, training against Alex Morgan, and her Ethiopian roots

Big things are expected of the rookie center back, who was selected first overall by the San Diego Wave ahead of the 2022 season

U.S. women’s national team prospect and top NWSL draft pick Naomi Girma has spoken to GOAL about her experience with the expansion San Diego Wave, training against Alex Morgan and her Ethiopian-American upbringing, among other topics.

Girma was selected first overall by the Wave in the 2022 NWSL Draft out of Stanford University, and is now getting set to embark on her first professional season.

The 21-year-old center back, who was named the 2020 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year, has starred for the USWNT at various youth levels, and has been called into camp with the senior team on two occasions.

On starting with an expansion team

Girma is expected to feature heavily for the Wave, who will enter the league in 2022 along with Southern California rivals Angel City FC.

“I think [joining an expansion team] makes it easier being a rookie, because I’m not going into a team where everything’s already set and I can help with the beginnings and figuring out how we want things to work and how we want the culture to be,” Girma said on All of US: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Show.

Working with Stoney and Morgan

The Wave have brought ex-Manchester United boss Casey Stoney in as head coach, and Girma has enjoyed working under the former England international defender.

“She’s very personable as a coach and really wants to emphasize she’s here to support us on or off the field, and wants to build relationships with us as people as well,” Girma said of Stoney.

“She’ll be like, ‘OK, center backs come with me after training’ and we’ll do a little extra work on something like defending in the box or like, really small details that you don’t always get from coaches if they don’t have such expertise in that position.”

Girma also spoke about training against USWNT star Alex Morgan, one of the Wave’s biggest acquisitions ahead of their inaugural season.

“I think it’s teaching me [to] play faster, or there are certain things that maybe you can do in college, but you can’t do at the pro level.

“The level is higher, the players are better and playing against one of the top players in the world every day – I feel extremely blessed and grateful that I have this opportunity.”

On her Ethiopian roots

Girma was born and raised in San Jose, California, and both of her parents emigrated to the U.S. from Ethiopia. She spoke about how this dual upbring influenced her.

“At home… it was a lot of Ethiopian culture and then going to school, [it was] a lot of the American culture. That dual upbringing was definitely interesting and something I had to navigate when I was younger, but I’m really thankful I had that experience now,” Girma said.

“It’s shaped me as a person, my values and the emphasis on community and support. That’s a big thing in Ethiopian culture and it’s something that I highly value.”

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma Claims Men’s London Marathon Win

Published by Tadias Magazine October 4th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Sisay Lemma won the men's London Marathon in a time of two hours four minutes and one second after breaking away from the leading pack late in the race on Sunday. (Getty Images)

Associated Press

LONDON — Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma won the men’s London Marathon in a time of two hours four minutes and one second after breaking away from the leading pack late in the race on Sunday.

Lemma, who finished on the podium last year, crossed the line 27 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Vincent Kipchuma with Mosinet Geremew third.

Meanwhile, in the women’s race, opting for the London Marathon over the defense of her New York title next month paid off for Joyciline Jepkosgei after the Kenyan won on her debut in the British capital on Sunday.

Jepkosgei won in two hours, 17 minutes, 43 seconds — making her the seventh fastest woman in history. Degitu Azimeraw of Ethiopia was second with compatriot Ashete Bekere third.

It was the first full-scale staging of the London Marathon in more than two years due to the pandemic, with around 40,000 runners joining some of the world’s best on the the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) route from Blackheath in southeast London to The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in the center of the city.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Ethiopians Headline the Women’s and Men’s Elite Fields for the Boston Marathon

Published by Tadias Magazine August 12th, 2021 in Featured and Sports. Closed

Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese and Mare Dibaba are among the star international female athletes competing in the upcoming 2021 Boston Marathon, while the men's elite category also includes Ethiopians Asefa Mengstu, Lemi Berhanu Hayle and Jemal Yimer. (Getty Images)

The Boston Globe

A pair of Ethiopian runners with the fastest men’s and women’s times in the field headline the elite runner entry list for the 2021 Boston Marathon that was announced Wednesday by the Boston Athletic Association.

Because of the pandemic, the race was postponed from April and will be run Oct. 11.

Nine women who have run faster than 2:22:00 will line up in Hopkinton, including Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese, whose 2:19:36 personal best ranks fastest in the field. Melese will have some tough competition from fellow Ethiopian Mare Dibaba, the 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist.

Dibaba has broken 2:20 twice, running 2:19:52 in 2012 and 2015, but she has not run that fast since. Also, Edina Kiplagat of Kenya, a two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist who finished second at Boston in 2019, will challenge for the top spot.

American Jordan Hasay is familiar with the course, finishing third twice. She is the third-fastest US woman in history with a personal best of 2:20:57.

On the men’s side, Ethiopian Asefa Mengstu has the fastest personal best and the 23rd- fastest marathon ever at 2:04:06. Fellow Ethiopians Lemi Berhanu Hayle, the 2015 Boston champion, and Dejene Debela, who has run a sub-2:06, will join him. Berhanu’s personal best is just behind Mengstu’s at 2:04:33.

After much success over the half marathon and in cross-country, Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton and Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer will make their marathon debuts. Barsoton earned a silver medal at the World Cross-Country Championships in 2017, and Yimer owns the Ethiopian national record of 58:33 in the half marathon.

Eight of the top 12 finishers from the US Olympic marathon trials will compete in Boston, including Abdi Abdirahman, who finished 41st at the Tokyo Games last week.

In the women’s wheelchair field, course record-holder Manuela Schär of Switzerland is the favorite, but she will be challenged by five-time Boston champion Tatyana McFadden. Team USA Paralympians Susannah Scaroni and Jenna Fesemyer also will compete.

The men’s wheelchair field features four former champions: Daniel Romanchuk, Marcel Hug, Ernst van Dyk, and Josh Cassidy, who have a combined 16 Boston titles. Aaron Pike, who will compete for Team USA in the Paralympic marathon, also will be in the field.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Tokyo Olympics: Men’s Steeplechase Gold Medal Odds Favor Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale

Published by Tadias Magazine July 28th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Ethiopia's Getnet Wale is favored in the men's steeplechase odds at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The 21-year-old is set to make his first Olympics appearance and set his personal best time of 8:05.21 in 2019 while running at Doha in Qatar. (Getty Images)

FanDuel

The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games are in full swing and sports fans are able to put in wagers on a number of different events on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Men’s track & field remains one of the most exciting sports on the Olympic schedule every year. Specifically, the 3,000m steeplechase competition made its debut at the 1920 Olympics. Athletes push their bodies to the limits in order to battle at the most elite level in the world.

Olympics Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase

Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale leads all competitors with odds set at +130 to take home the gold in this event, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The 21-year-old is set to make his first Olympics appearance and set his personal best time of 8:05.21 in 2019 while running at Doha.

Soufiane El Bakkali of Morroco follows closely behind with odds set at +155.

Here’s how the rest of the Olympics men’s 3,000m steeplechase Gold Medal odds are shaping up.

Olympics Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase Gold Medal Odds

1. Getnet Wale (ETH): +130
2. Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR): +155
3. Abraham Kibiwot (KEN): +700
4. Bikila Tadese Takele (ETH): +750
5. Leonard Bett (KEN): +1100
6. Benjamin Kigen (KEN): +1300
7. Hilary Bor (USA): +1600
8. Abrham Sime (ETH): +1800
9. Mohamed Tindouft (MAR): +3400
10. Djilali Bedrani (FRA): +3400
11. Ahmed Abdelwahed (ITA): +5000
12. Fernando Carro (ESP): +6000

—

On Twitter, Cryptocurrency Fans Cheer Ethiopia at Tokyo Olympics

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

On Twitter, Cryptocurrency Fans Cheer Ethiopia at Tokyo Olympics

Published by Tadias Magazine July 25th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Flag bearer Abdelmalik Muktar of Team Ethiopia during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Team Ethiopia is receiving global cheers on social media that has gone viral after Twitter added Ethiopia's flag to the “ETH” hashtag in the lead-up to the Olympics. Interestingly, the support is coming from fans of the largest cryptocurrency next to Bitcoin, Ethereum. (Getty Images)

Crypto Briefing

Ethereum Community Backs Ethiopia Ahead of Olympics

The Ethereum community is rallying behind Ethiopia after Twitter added the country’s flag to the “ETH” hashtag in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics.

Key Takeaways

Ethereum fans are showing their support for Ethiopia after Twitter added the country’s flag to the “ETH” hashtag in celebration of the Olympics.

A DAO called EthiopiaDAO has formed, while some community members have suggested sponsoring the country’s Olympic team.

The Olympics thanked Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and the wider crypto community for their support.

Ethereans are voicing their support for Ethiopia.

Ethereum Forms Ties with Ethiopia

Ethereum fans are backing Ethiopia ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

Members of the second-ranked blockchain’s community began showing their support for the African nation after Twitter added national flag emojis for each of the teams appearing at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. The social media platform added the Ethiopia flag to the hashtag “ETH,” which coincides with the name for Ethereum’s native currency.

Ethereum enthusiasts quickly adopted the hashtag and united in showing support for Ethiopia. Many reposted the country’s flag, similar to how Bitcoiners and other crypto believers collectively adopted “laser eyes” on their Twitter avatars earlier this year. Since the flag surfaced on Twitter, a decentralized autonomous organization called EthiopiaDAO “centered around Ethiopia and blockchain education” has formed. A member of the DAO told Crypto Briefing:

“While there isn’t a clear vision of exactly how EthiopiaDAO can help today, we have the tools and know how to coordinate capital globally towards whatever we decide to put our efforts towards. Currently there seems to be memetic alignment between communities and we’d like to capture that momentum towards funding communal goods that could have real world benefits to Ethiopia, and the Ethereum ecosystem at large.”

Meanwhile, several community members have suggested supporting the country in other ways. Brantly Millegan, director of operations at Ethereum Name Service, reached out to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to suggest sponsoring the country in the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, Mike Demarais, co-founder of the Ethereum wallet rainbow, shared a similar proposal and suggested that Ethereum could “copy/paste el salvador strat but for vitalik coin.“ El Salvador made history when it adopted Bitcoin as legal tender last month, indicating that Demarais was most likely proposing a campaign to make ETH an official currency in Ethiopia.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter and Square founder and longtime Bitcoin evangelist, also joined in with the trend by posting the hashtag in a tweet. In the crypto world, Dorsey is best known for his ardent support for Bitcoin, though he’s been less enthusiastic about Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. The official Olympics Twitter account responded to Dorsey’s post to say it was “great to see” him and the crypto community supporting Ethiopia’s athletes.

Ethereum isn’t the only cryptocurrency project to show support for Ethiopia: earlier this year, Cardano’s IOHK partnered with the country’s government to develop a blockchain system focusing on student performance in schools. The deal will involve five million Ethiopian students having their digital identities stored on the blockchain.

The Tokyo Olympics runs from today until Aug. 8. Representatives from the country are yet to respond to the Ethereum community, though ETH has enjoyed an overnight rise: it’s back above $2,000, up around 4%.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

The Pan-Africa-USA International Track Meet

Published by Tadias Magazine July 20th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

One year before Ethiopian Miruts Yifter won an Olympic bronze medal in Munich, Germany, and five years before he won two golds in Moscow, he miscounted laps in a race held in Durham, North Carolina [during the Pan-Africa – U.S.A. International Track Meet] in front of 52,000 fans. He would soon earn the moniker “Yifter the Shifter” for his ability to change speeds so rapidly in races. (Fansided)

Fansided

50 years ago, Duke University hosted the experimental Pan-Africa – U.S.A. International Track Meet, looking to change a legacy of structural racism.

One year before Ethiopian Miruts Yifter won an Olympic bronze medal in Munich, Germany, and five years before he won two golds in Moscow, he miscounted laps in a race held in Durham, North Carolina. As a result, American distance running icon, Steve Prefontaine, took the title at the Pan-Africa – U.S.A. International Track Meet in front of 52,000 fans. Yifter irritated his competitors, shifting between positions throughout the race, before mistakenly using his final gear in the penultimate lap. He would soon earn the moniker “Yifter the Shifter” for his ability to change speeds so rapidly in races.

After the race, a frustrated Yifter explained that he was accustomed to hearing bells, not a gun, to signal the final lap, and did not see the lap counter. Jean Claude Ganga, a Congolese sports administrator and the selected African team manager for this particular competition, explained further, “‘In some countries, it’s a gong, gong, in others, it’s a bing, bing, bing. Here it’s a boom. He did not know this.”

This would be one of several moments of cultural reckoning 50 years ago, when athletes from across the continent were invited to North Carolina to compete at the Wallace Wade Stadium at Duke University on July 16-17, 1971.

As sport is positioned to do, the Pan-Africa – U.S.A. International Track Meet was meant to disseminate ideas and feelings of cultural cohesion. But for many, using the Pan-African namesake to advertise the event just a few short years after Black students occupied a central Duke Administration building to make demands in response to the racism they felt at the newly integrated University, and with several African countries still under colonial rule, cohesion seemed like an obvious ruse.

At the competition, Pan-Africanism had two opposing connotations. For some — namely the organizers and most spectators — it simply described the structure of the meet. Athletes from across the African continent competed as one team against athletes from the U.S. For others, most notably the Black activists who attended the meet to publicize racial oppression omnipresent in the South, Pan-Africanism was an ideology focused on uniting all people of African descent within and beyond the continent. It was, and is, an anti-imperialist and anti-racist way of organizing politics in the world. And it changed how some understood the different teams on the track and in the field.

“We decided to create this huge scoreboard and the idea was any time any Black person won points whether they were from Africa or the United States we gave those points to Africa,” civil rights activist, academic, and education reform leader, Howard Fuller, told FanSided.

Fuller, along with other students and members of the Malcolm X Liberation University (MXLU) that he helped found knew they would need to take advantage of the large staging of such an event to make a statement and espouse the values of Pan-Africanism. The University was created mostly in response to the discrimination Black students faced in Duke’s early years of integration, and the structural racism felt in Durham and beyond.

“When we learned about the track meet the first thing we did was we met the people from Africa when they got off the plane,” Fuller explains. “We had made up these packets telling them about the oppression of Black people in Durham and North Carolina. And then with the score card we brought drums to the meet and were drumming the whole time. So we turned an athletic event into a political event.”

Pre-meet dynamics around Duke University

The meet was the brainchild of Dr. LeRoy T. Walker, the head coach of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), a historically black university founded in the early 20th century. Walker coached dozens of Olympians before and after his time at NCCU, and critically forged a close relationship with Duke’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach, Al Buehler, in order to find adequate facilities for his athletes.

One of Walker’s athletes, Lee Calhoun, only had access to five hurdles and a poorly maintained track that could easily turn an ankle. Calhoun, who went on to win Olympic Gold Medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games, as well as other several would-be Olympians, would soon be snuck into Duke’s segregated campus to practice in safer conditions.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Olympic Talk: Letesenbet Gidey Breaks 2-Day-Old World Record in 10,000m

Published by Tadias Magazine June 8th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

On Tuesday letesenbet Gidey broke the 5000m world record at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo, Netherlands. (yes, the Ethiopian Trials are being held in the Netherlands). She took 5.79 seconds off Sifan Hassan’s record from Sunday. (Getty Images)

Olympic Talk

Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey lowered the women’s 10,000m world record, two days after Sifan Hassan broke it on the same track in Hengelo, Netherlands.

Gidey, who on Oct. 7 broke the 5000m world record, clocked 29:01.03 at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials (yes, the Ethiopian Trials are being held in the Netherlands). She took 5.79 seconds off Hassan’s record from Sunday.

Hassan, an Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman, brought the record down 10.63 seconds from Ethiopian Almaz Ayana‘s winning time at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In total, 30.75 seconds have been taken off the world record starting with Ayana in Rio. Before that, the mark of 29:31.78 set by dubious Chinese runner Wang Junxia had stood since 1993, and nobody else had run within 22 seconds of it.

All four men’s and women’s 5000m and 10,000m world records have been broken over the last 10 months. Runners have benefited from technology — new spikes and pacing lights on the track.

In 2019, Gidey took 10,000m silver at the world championships. In 2020, she took 4.5 seconds off countrywoman Tirunesh Dibaba‘s 12-year-old 5000m world record.

Gidey, 23, was previously briefly expelled from school for refusing to run in physical education classes.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

In Idaho, Athlete Rosina Machu From Ethiopia is The most Inspirational Story of 2021 Graduation Season

Published by Tadias Magazine June 7th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Rosina Machu set a number of records through her years at Boise High School. (Photo by Michael Najera)

Boise State Public Radio

Meet Rosina Machu: Ethiopian Refugee, Idaho Track Phenom And New Boise High Graduate

Rosina Machu may be the most inspirational story of Idaho’s 2021 graduation season. She barely survived Malaria at the age of 2 and spent much of her childhood in a refugee camp in the shadow of war-torn Ethiopia. She and her family were ultimately relocated to Idaho.

As she remembers it, she wasn’t overly interested in athletics, but a Boise elementary physical education teacher insisted that she run around a track with the rest of her class.

”And at the time I was like, ‘OK, you can’t make me do sports. I don’t want to do it.’ So I just said, ‘OK,’ and I started running and I enjoyed it,” Machu said.

Indeed, she would go on to become one of Idaho’s best track athletes in recent memory.

Rosina Machu and her Boise High track teammates. (Photo: Boise High School/Courtesy Of Michael Najera)

As she prepares to say farewell to Boise High School, in preparation of attending Gonzaga University, Machu and her Boise High track coach Aaron Olswanger visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about her past and her impressive dreams for the future.

“It’s amazing, she’s so smooth, so strong just to see her progression over the last four years, it has been just remarkable.”

— Aaron Olswanger

Read the full transcript below:

GEORGE PRENTICE: It is Morning Edition on Boise State Public Radio News. Good morning. I’m George Prentice. Indeed, this is graduation season and there is much to celebrate in the class of 2021. And we’re going to meet an exceptional high school graduate and hear a bit of her story. But first, let’s say good morning to the track coach at Boise High School. He is Aaron Olswanger.

AARON OLSWANGER: Good morning. Thanks for having us on.

PRENTICE: Well, first of all, congratulations to you and making it through a school year unlike any other. Quite an achievement.

OLSWANGER: Thank you. It’s been a challenging year,

PRENTICE: But you ended together: your students in class…in person.

OLSWANGER: Yeah, it was nice getting everybody together in the last nine weeks of the school year and it almost acted like we were functioning normally again.

PRENTICE: Coach, I’m going to ask you to do the honors and introduce us to a special guest short.

OLSWANGER: This is Rosina Machu. She is, like you said, a senior graduating here. And she’s been a cross country and track and field runner for us for the last four years, at Boise High, and has basically done everything under the sun and more… and she’s more than just a tremendous leader in our program and a great role model for our younger kids.

Rosina Machu and Boise High track coach Aaron Olswanger. (Photo: Boise High School, Aaron Olswange)

PRENTICE: Rosina. Good morning.

ROSINA MACHU: Good morning.

PRENTICE: It’s my understanding that you spent some of your childhood in war-torn Ethiopia. What do you remember of those years?

MACHU: I actually remember quite a lot like up until we left in June of 2007. I believe… a lot of my memories I can remember are…since we were in a refugee camp in a war torn country, I did get sick a lot. I was very young. I had malaria. And it hit my younger sister, too. We both had malaria. It was very bad for us. And something I remember was when I was sick, at the time, my mom had to take me to the doctor to get me checked up. And I remember she had to stick a finger down my throat to make me throw up and get rid of any bad things in my body, just to make me feel better. I remember that. Whenever anyone asked me something about Ethiopia and I was there in the refugee camp, the one thing my mind goes to is that…something I will always remember.

PRENTICE: So my sense then would be that you are supersensitive to the importance of health and keeping fit, and how important it is not only for survival, but, well, to be a premium athlete, which you have become.

MACHU: Yeah. Being healthy and just taking care of your body and yourself is one of the big things to being an athlete and just being a healthy person overall. So, I try to take care of my health as best I can.

PRENTICE: Rosina… why do you run?

MACHU: To be honest, growing up as a kid, I was never the most active or athletic kid. My dad would take me to soccer games because he’s a big soccer fan. And he tried to get me into sports, especially soccer. But I was never interested. Everyone took me to the soccer games. I’d go run off and like the other kids, do anything other than watch the game. Even when we came to the United States, I wasn’t an active kid. I never joined any sports teams like my dad wanted me to. And how I got into running was in third grade when we ran the mile for the first time. I never did sports… never did running ever in my life. Our PE teacher took us outside to our giant field, made us run for laps, and I guess I had a really good time for a little third grader. He’s said, “You know what, Rosina? When you’re in fifth grade and you can start doing track and like sports, you are going to join the track team.” And at the time I was like, “OK, you can’t make me do sports. I don’t want to do it.” So I just said, “OK,” and I started running and I enjoyed it.

PRENTICE: Coach, what’s it like to watch Rosina run?

OLSWANGER: Oh, it’s amazing, she’s so smooth, so strong just to see her progression over the last four years, it has been just remarkable. And I have so much confidence in my athletes and especially when I watch her run. Looking back to this past weekend at the state tournament…you just know she’s going to do great things.

PRENTICE: You’ve probably lost count of how many personal bests and school bests and state bests… This is quite some athlete we’re talking to here.

OLSWANGER: Yeah, she continues to improve, which is the remarkable thing. A lot of high school kids don’t… sometimes when they’re younger. Rosina has been the opposite. She’s gotten better every single year. And she ended with two of her lifetime bests at the state meet.

PRENTICE: Let’s talk about college. You’re heading to Gonzaga, I hear.

MACHU: Yeah, I am. I’m super excited to go up there and turn a new page in the book, inside a new chapter and make a lot of new friends and learn many more things.

PRENTICE: Are you the first in your family to go to college?

OLSWANGER: I’m the first kid in my family to go to college and hopefully my younger siblings will follow me and go to college as well.

PRENTICE: Great. What do you want to do someday?

MACHU: I wanted to be a doctor. But then I started watching some medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy. You know what? Maybe not a doctor, like a surgeon…I’m not going to school for fifteen years. And then I got into law and criminal justice and I took a class here at Boise High School. And I really enjoyed it. And it opened up my eyes to criminal law and justice. So that’s one of the things I want to maybe major in, along with social work or psychology. I took a class in psychology at Boise High. And I really enjoyed that as well.

PRENTICE: I feel like tossing her the keys right now. It sounds like the world will be better off.

OLSWANGER: Yeah, she’ll have she’ll have some tremendous opportunities at Gonzaga.

PRENTICE: Congratulations on graduation… on everything that you’ve done at Boise High and everything you are about to do at Gonzaga. We can’t wait to read about all of your success there and hear about that. Coach, to you. Best of luck on another year, another season.

OLSWANGER: Thank you so much.

PRENTICE: Talk about class… the class of 2021.

MACHU: Thank you so much for this.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

How an Orphan From Ethiopia Became a U.S. Air Force Academy Soccer Signee

Published by Tadias Magazine June 7th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Kobey Stoup, who is adopted from Ethiopia, came to America when he was five years old. This year he was recruited by the U.S. Air Force Academy as a Soccer player. (Photo: courtesy of Mary Stoup)

Montgomery Advertiser

How an orphan from Ethiopia who lived in Montgomery became an Air Force Academy soccer signee

One of the things Kobey Stoup remembers about his childhood in Ethiopia is the process of picking up new dialects. He and his mom bounced across the region and had to quickly learn. Even then, he had a tendency to hang back and watch, his mom pressing him to be more vocal.

But he adjusted and adapted.

“I’m kind of used to moving around,” Stoup said.

His childhood gave him perspective, even if he didn’t realize it at the time. It helped him when he was a 5-year-old orphan who was adopted by Mary and Mark Stoup and moved to the United States. Mark, a retired Air Force colonel and a civilian working at Maxwell Air Force Base, and Mary have four biological daughters and one adopted son, but Mary realized she wanted another after a trip to Ethiopia. They now have three adopted children.

They’ve always been impressed with how Kobey has handled new locales as the military family moved repeatedly through the South. Through it all he’s had soccer, playing originally on a concrete court at his orphanage with crumbled trash shaped into a ball. Now, Stoup is preparing for his next step with the Air Force Academy, where he’ll play right back.

“I may have understood (the move) at the time,” Kobey said. “It’s hard to explain. It just felt right. I don’t really remember.”

One of his first memories of the U.S. was seeing the bright lights from the plane in the airport hangar. He’s learned English from his siblings. Playing sports allowed him to narrow his focus…

Kobey Stoup, who is adopated from Ethiopia, came to America when he was five years old. This year he was recruited by the U.S. Air Force Academy as a Soccer player.

He played in the Olympic Development Program and spent some time with the Montgomery Streaks, now known as Alabama FC South. The MLS club Atlanta United contacted him for its developmental academy in Georgia, and Kobey stayed with a host family the last four years.

In a pro environment, though, Kobey noticed things he didn’t like. Some coaches preferred some players over others and the business aspect of sports — injuries, trades, new signees — took his future out of his control.

So he pivoted to college options, earning looks from multiple Division I programs.

Read the full artcile at montgomeryadvertiser.com »

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

SPORT: Gudaf Tsegay Makes 10000m Debut With Crazy 29:39.42

Published by Tadias Magazine May 10th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

In Portugal this past weekend the 24-year-old Gudaf Tsegay became the first woman in history who in her 10000m debut broke the 30-minute barrier. Tsegay's 29:39.42 puts her in fifth place on the world all-time list. (Watch Athletics)

Watch Athletics

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay ran an amazing 29:39.42 10,000m debut on Saturday at the Fernanda Ribeiro Gold Gala in Portugal.

The world indoor 1500m record holder (3:53.09), ran 14:55 for the first 5000m and then accelerated to 14:49 for the second half to win the race in 29:39.42.

Behind Tsegay finished Bahrain’s Kalkidan Gezahegne who returned to racing since 2018 and amazingly clocked 29:50.77. Meanwhile, Uganda’s Doreen Chesang took third place in 32:09.82.

The 24-year-old, Gudaf became the first woman in history who in her 10000m debut broke the 30-minute barrier. Tsegay’s 29:39.42 puts her in fifth place on the world all-time list.

In the men’s 10000m race Kenya’s world championships bronze medallist Rhonex Kipruto clocked 27:11.01 for the win. He finished miles ahead of compatriot Shadrack Koech (27:59.19).

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

SPORT: Ethiopia Prepares For Tokyo Olympics – Results From Marathon Trials

Published by Tadias Magazine May 3rd, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Ethiopian runners booked their tickets to the Tokyo Games after a 35K qualifying race near Addis Ababa on Saturday. Shura Kitata wins Ethiopian Olympic Marathon Trials in sprint finish, Tigist Girma wins women’s race. (Photos: FloTrack and via Twitter)

Running Magazine

Shura Kitata and Tigist Girma won the Ethiopian Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday in Sebeta, a city just outside the nation’s capital of Addis Ababa. The 35K qualifying race saw a thrilling finish in the men’s event, with Kitata, the 2020 London Marathon champion, edging out two-time Boston Marathon winner Lelisa Desisa in a sprint to the line. Girma’s win was much more comfortable, and she crossed the line 22 seconds ahead of her next-closest competitor. As things stand now, the top three men and women from Saturday’s race will represent Ethiopia in the Olympic marathon this summer.

The women’s race

With a PB of 2:19:52, Girma, the 2019 Ottawa Marathon champion, owns one of the fastest marathon results in history, and she ranks 14th among Ethiopians all time. She ran this result at the 2019 Amsterdam Marathon, where she finished second. While Girma doesn’t have any big wins on her resume, she has recorded several top-10 finishes at competitive races, and along with her run onto the podium at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2019, she posted fifth- and sixth-place finishes at the Tokyo and Valencia marathons in 2020.

Girma’s win on Saturday is perhaps the biggest of her career so far, not because it was a major event (it wasn’t), but because it gives her the opportunity to race at the Olympics for the first time. Her 1:59:23 finish in the 35K trial race in Sebeta put her on pace for a 2:23:56 marathon.

Second place went to Birhane Dibaba in 1:59:45. Dibaba owns the sixth-fastest marathon result in Ethiopian history, with a PB of 2:18:35, which she ran in her second-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon in 2020. Dibaba has run to multiple podiums at World Marathon Major events, including a pair of wins in Tokyo in 2015 and 2018. Like Girma, the Tokyo Games will be Dibaba’s first time racing at the Olympics.

Roza Dereje won the third and final spot on the Ethiopian marathon team headed to Tokyo this summer, crossing the line in 2:00:16. Dereje’s marathon PB of 2:18:30 is the third-fastest ever run by an Ethiopian and 10th-best in world history. She, too, has never raced at the Olympics.

The men’s race

Kitata has tremendous momentum going into the Tokyo Games. In October, he won the London Marathon in a sprint finish, crossing the line in 2:05:41, just one second in front of Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba. Similarly on Saturday, Kitata’s finishing kick lifted him to victory, and he beat Desisa by one second, stopping the clock in 1:46:15 (which was on pace for a 2:08:06 marathon). With a two-race win streak in a pair of competitive races, Kitata is likely brimming with confidence, and he will be riding a huge wave of momentum as he works toward his first Olympic race.

Desisa went home disappointed on Saturday, but he has still guaranteed himself a chance to race in Sapporo, Japan, where this year’s Olympic marathon will be held. While Desisa also hasn’t raced in the Olympics before, he is no stranger to big events. Along with his two Boston Marathon victories in 2013 and 2015, he won the New York City Marathon in 2018, and he has five other podium finishes at the two races. He is also the reigning marathon world champion, as he won the world title in Doha, Qatar in 2019.

Sisay Lemma finished in third, just as he did in London when Kitata also won the race. Lemma crossed the line in 1:46:19, just a few seconds behind Kitata and Desisa. Although his ticket is booked for the Tokyo Games on paper, Lemma can’t celebrate his run just yet, as it has been reported that Ethiopian running legend Kenenisa Bekele has challenged the qualification decision of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation.

Bekele opted not to race the trials, saying that the run is too close to the Olympic marathon race date on August 8 and that he wouldn’t have time to fully recover. He has also said he is unhappy with the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, as officials originally said the marathon team would be selected based on who ran the fastest times in the qualifying period. After the pandemic hit, officials changed the qualification process and added the trials race instead.

Bekele ran his PB (and the second-fastest marathon result in history) of 2:01:41 in September 2019, and he assumed that would guarantee him a spot on the Ethiopian Olympic team. As things stand now, however, he will be left off the start list in Tokyo. However, if Bekele’s appeal with the national federation is successful, then he will be added to the team and Lemma will likely be let go, seeing as he was the last man to qualify in Saturday’s race.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

WATCH: Habitam Alemu Meet Record 1:58 800m | 2021 World Indoor Tour Madrid

Published by Tadias Magazine February 24th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Ethiopia's Habitam Alemu wins the Indoor 800m race at the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour in Madrid, Spain on Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021. (FloTrack)

FloTrack

Updated: February 24th,2021

Habitam Alemu drops an impressive 1:58 at the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour Madrid Meeting.

—

Related:

WATCH: 19-Year-Old Lemlem Hailu Beats World Champion In Fastest 3K of 2021

FloTrack

Feb 18, 2021

19-year-old Lemlem Hailu showed her Lievin victory wasn’t a fluke and sprinted away from steeplechase world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech on the final lap of the 2021 World Indoor Tour Torun Meeting in a 2021 world leading 8:31.24 3,000m.

Video: 19-Year-Old Lemlem Hailu Beats World Champion In Fastest 3K of 2021

Ethiopia’s Lemlem Hailu wins the 3,000m race at the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour in Torun, Poland, on Thursday, February 18, 2021. (FloTrack)

—

Related:

Watch: Habitam Alemu dominated the women’s 800m | 2021 World Indoor Tour Torun

FloTrack

Feb 19, 2021

Habitam Alemu dominated the women’s 800m at the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour Torun Meeting. After going through the first 400m in 57.63, she finished in a meet record of 1:58.19. It would have been an Ethiopian indoor record, had Gudaf Tsegay not ran 1:57.52 a week earlier.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

WATCH: 19-Year-Old Lemlem Hailu Beats World Champion In Fastest 3K of 2021

Published by Tadias Magazine February 18th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Ethiopia’s Lemlem Hailu wins the 3,000m race at the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour in Torun, Poland, on Wednesday. (FloTrack)

FloTrack

Video: 19-Year-Old Lemlem Hailu Beats World Champion In Fastest 3K of 2021

Ethiopia’s Lemlem Hailu wins the 3,000m race at the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour in Torun, Poland, on Thursday, February 18, 2021. (FloTrack)

—

Related:

Watch: Habitam Alemu dominated the women’s 800m | 2021 World Indoor Tour Torun

FloTrack

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

WATCH: Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay Smashes 1500m World Record

Published by Tadias Magazine February 9th, 2021 in Featured and Sports. Closed

Gudaf Tsegay (left) celebrates winning the women’s 1500m in Liévin, France and setting an indoor world record time of 3min 53.09sec. The 24-year-old’s time not only broke the previous best set by Genzebe Dibaba in 2014 but – understandably – the resolve of Britain’s Laura Muir. (Reuters photo)

The Guardian

Ethiopian records 3min 53.09sec to shatter record

Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia demolished the women’s 1500m indoor world record by more than two seconds on an astonishing night that will fuel yet more talk about how new track spike technology has become a gamechanger for the sport.

The 24-year-old’s time of 3min 53.09sec at the World Indoor Tour meeting in Liévin, France not only broke the previous best set by Genzebe Dibaba in 2014 but – understandably – the resolve of Britain’s Laura Muir.

Muir is one of the world’s finest middle-distance runners, but she was unable to keep up with Tsegay as the pacemaker led the field through the first 400m in a lightning quick 58.97.

The gap only grew and Muir could do little as she finished more than six seconds back in 3:59.58. Her time was still good enough to break the British record.

“My training did that,” said Tsegay, the 2019 world bronze medallist, who was running in new Adidas spikes. “The pace is my friend. I have been training really hard and I am so happy.”

Two world records that have stood for a generation almost fell during an incredible two hours. The 20-year-old Ethiopian Getnet Wale – who is better known as a steeplechaser – produced an astonishing final kilometre to come within 0.31sec of the indoor 3,000m record that has been held by Daniel Komen since 1998.

Watch: Guduf Tsegay Sets WORLD RECORD 1500m 3:53.09

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Video: Another Ethiopian Victory at World Indoor Tour As Getnet Wale Wins 3000m

Published by Tadias Magazine February 9th, 2021 in Sports. Closed

Ethiopia's Getnet Wale wins the 3000m race at the 2021 World Indoor Tour in Lievin, France on Tuesday. Although he missed the world record by .08. seconds, Getnet's time was the fastest in the world, indoors or out, in over 21 years. (Photo: FloTrack YouTube)

Lets Run

Getnet Wale of Ethiopia, best known before today as the 2019 Diamond League steeplechase champion, ripped a 7:24.98 in the 3000m, and missed the world record by .08. In the process, he led four men under 7:30 for the first time ever indoors. Wale’s time was the fastest in the world, indoors or out, in over 21 years. Only Daniel Komen (7:20.67) and Hicham El Guerrouj (7:23.09) have ever gone faster under any conditions.

Video: Getnet Wale of Ethiopia wins 3000m | 2021 World Indoor Tour Lievin, France

Getnet Wale ran a 7:24.98 in the 3000m, and missed the world record by only .08 seconds and four men broke 7:30 for the first time ever indoors at the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour Lievin meeting. (FloTrack)

—

WATCH: Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay Smashes 1500m World Record

The Guardian

Ethiopian records 3min 53.09sec to shatter record

Muir is one of the world’s finest middle-distance runners, but she was unable to keep up with Tsegay as the pacemaker led the field through the first 400m in a lightning quick 58.97.

The gap only grew and Muir could do little as she finished more than six seconds back in 3:59.58. Her time was still good enough to break the British record.

“My training did that,” said Tsegay, the 2019 world bronze medallist, who was running in new Adidas spikes. “The pace is my friend. I have been training really hard and I am so happy.”

Watch: Guduf Tsegay Sets WORLD RECORD 1500m 3:53.09

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Spotlight: How Ethiopian Soccer Referee Lidya Tafesse Made African History

Published by Tadias Magazine January 28th, 2021 in Featured and Sports. Closed

Ethiopian Soccer Referee Lidya Tafesse Abebe. (Getty Images)

Tadias Magazine

By Tadias Staff

Updated: January 29th, 2021

New York (TADIAS) — Last week Ethiopian Soccer Referee Lidya Tafesse Abebe made African history when she led the first ever all-female officiating team refereeing the men’s African Nations Championship quarter-finals game in Cameroon between Namibia and Tanzania.

Lidya, who is a former professional basketball player, “gave a flawless performance as Tanzania edged Namibia 1-0 in Cameroon city Limbe,” AFP reported, noting that Lidya was joined by her assistants, Malawian Bernadettar Kwimbira and Nigerian Mimisen Iyorhe, during the landmark match that was fully controlled by women referees.

Lidya Tafesse was also the first ever woman FIFA centre referee from Ethiopia. (Photo via cafonline)

According to AFP:

Tafesse exuded confidence in every decision she made, was extremely fit and tolerated no foul play as she yellow-carded three Tanzanians within 10 minutes during the second half.

African male footballers often dispute decisions against them, but most accepted without hesitation the rulings of Tafesse at the Stade Omnisport in the southwestern coastal resort.

CAF referees manager Eddy Maillet from the Seychelles was overjoyed as the trio created history eight days into the sixth edition of the Nations Championship.

Below is a profile of Lidya Tafesse courtesy of CAFOnline.com, the official website of the governing body of African Soccer, Confederation of African Football:

From basketball to top level refereeing

“It was very difficult when I started because sometimes, some people would ask why I decided to go into refereeing as a woman when there were no any other women doing the same” — Lidya Tafesse (cafonline)

Starting off as a professional basketball player, not many thought Lidya Tafesse Abebe would trade the rims and bounces for the whistle, and not in basketball, but football. The 40-year old has been on a 20 -year journey of refereeing, becoming the first ever woman to officiate a men’s top flight game in Ethiopia.

She was also the first ever woman FIFA centre referee in the East African nation.

“I started off in Jimma while still playing basketball. I played football in school but basketball was my first sport. I was interested when I met one of the instructors doing some courses and some of us from the basketball team were invited. I liked how he was teaching and I got interested more,” Tafesse says.

The seed planted in her soul by the FIFA/CAF instructor Shiferaw Eshetu continued to germinate and grow as the days went on.

When she moved to the capital Addis Ababa to continue her basketball career and pursue a course in Pharmacy, the interest continued and soon, she started building on with more courses and when it became apparent that she had found some new love, dumped the old one; basketball.

“I was part of the female referees project and I started off by doing the Under-15, 17 games, the local tournaments as well as some Federation tournaments. I got more certification and I started doing the Men’s Premier League as an assistant referee and in 2005, I became a centre referee,” narrates Tafesse.

The journey, though satisfying hasn’t been easy for the mother of one. When she started, there were no women referees and when she officiated men’s games, there was even more difficulty.

But her resilience and desire to make a mark in Ethiopian football drover her passion.

“It was very difficult when I started because sometimes, some people would ask why I decided to go into refereeing as a woman when there were no any other women doing the same. But my family supported me and I am grateful for them,”

“Also, I came from a sports background and the fact that while playing basketball we trained and played against some men teams gave me confidence and it wasn’t so difficult for me at times, even when I did men’s games,” explains Tafesse.

Lidya Tafesse (cafonline)

She also remains grateful to the Ethiopian Football Federation who gave her and her colleagues confidence to continue and even handed them Premier League matches to boost their confidence. She vividly remembers the influence former vice president Tihaye Egziaber had on her.

“He would talk to us as women referees and really encouraged us. He gave us so much support,” she states.

Her impressive performances earned her a first ever international assignment in 2006 when she officiated an Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Nigeria and Liberia in Abuja and that opened the floodgates for her to grow.

“I will not forget that match because it was so different. The stadium was bigger than what we are used to here in Ethiopia, the crowd was amazing and the level was definitely good,” Tafesse remembers.

(cafonline)

She has gone on to progress, doing the All Africa Games in 2007 and 2011, before going on to do the Total Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) four times in a row in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

On top of that, she has officiated at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019, did the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2016 as well as the Under-20 in 2018.

But in between all those wonderful assignments, she faced a challenge that nearly slowed down her sailing career. In 2013, she conceived her first born child who will be turning seven years old in October. But, the aftermath of her return seven months later was full of challenges.

“Physiologically as women, we have so many body changes after pregnancy and I was not different. I gained so much weight and I had to work very hard to get back in shape. I worked a lot and eventually I was better and in 2014, I got a chance to go for the Cup of Nations,”

“But while training there, I got injured and in my mind, it was all over for me. I tried to do some tests and see whether I could go on but I had decided I would go home. However, the director came and told me ‘Lydia you are not going. Just try and see whether you can recover’. I started treating the sprain on my ankle everyday and ultimately, I got better,”

“I did a match in the semi-final, Cameroon vs Côte d’Ivoire which went up to extra time. Surprisingly, I was stronger and fitter than both teams when the game went to 120 minutes. I was so pleased,” Tafesse remembers.

This is one of her most memorable matches. The other one was in 2012 when she officiated another semi-final pitting Nigeria and South Africa, a match that the Banyana Banyana won 1-0.

“It was such a great game to officiate because both of them are brilliant teams. Also, it was very hot and I remembered hoping it would not go to extra time,” jokes Tafesse.

(cafonline)

Despite the stoppages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tafesse has continued to train on her own and has also use the time off competitions to give back to the community.

She is using her background as a pharmacist and knowledge in medicine to raise awareness on the virus and help the community keep themselves safe from contracting and spreading the virus.

“I have been doing education on social media and in radio and TV stations just trying to tell people on the dangers of the virus. I also go to the communities and teach them how to wash hands and keep hygiene. Also, I have been giving back to the community by helping the vulnerable who have not had a chance to get food and basic commodities,” she states.

On her training, Tafesse admits that it has been tough but notes she has not had a reason to put the feet off the gas. “I train outside three times a week and also indoors where I have tried to put up my own small gym. We have a system where we have to make reports daily as well as GPS trackers to ensure we are training.”

Lidya Tafesse (cafonline)

As a woman, Tafesse says it has been great balancing between her family and refereeing, a career she has given her full attention to. The support from her husband and the motivation of her seven-year old keeps her going, Tafesse says.

And now, she hopes she can influence the next generation of women referees in Ethiopia and the continent at large to take up the career. She hopes that after her active years, apart from continuing with her profession as a pharmacist, she will switch to become an instructor as she looks to get more and more following her path.

Her hopes to continue getting high profile games and getting the chance to officiate at a CAF men’s tournament for the first time finally became true in the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN), Cameroon 2020.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

SPORT: Yalemzerf Yehualaw Runs Second-Fastest Women’s Half Marathon Ever

Published by Tadias Magazine November 30th, 2020 in Sports. Closed

Yalemzerf Yehualaw crosses the finish line with the second-fastest women’s half marathon in history to win the women's 2020 Airtel Delhi half marathon in New Delhi, India. (AFP photo)

Reuters

(Reuters) – Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw ran the second-fastest women’s half marathon in history on Sunday, completing the 21.09-kilometre course in New Delhi in one hour, four minutes and 46 seconds.

The 21-year-old, whose previous personal best was 1:05:19 set during the world half marathon championships in Gdynia last month, shaved one minute and 14 seconds off the event record at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.

She won $27,000 in prize money and an additional $10,000 as an event record bonus.

The overall women’s half marathon record of 1:04:31 was set by Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh at Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates in February.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw celebrates with her gold medal at the podium during the medal ceremony of the women’s 2020 Airtel Delhi half marathon in New Delhi on November 29, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

Yehualaw’s compatriot Amdework Walelegn won the men’s race in the Indian capital on Sunday with a time of 58 minutes and 53 seconds, the third-fastest time of the year and also an event record by 13 seconds.

More than 60 professional runners took part in the race, while several hundred enthusiasts ran in other cities on routes of their choice, using a mobile app to post race timings, organisers said.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

SPORT: Soccer Legend Maradona Dies

Published by Tadias Magazine November 25th, 2020 in Sports. Closed

Diego Maradona, who was considered one of the greatest soccer players in history, alongside Pelé, has died. He was 60. “There is much more to say, but for now may God give his family strength,” Pelé said. “One day, I hope, we will play soccer together in the sky.” (Photo: Diego Maradona holds up his team's trophy after Argentina's victory over West Germany at the 1986 World Cup final soccer match in Mexico City/AP)

The Associated Press

“You took us to the top of the world,” Argentine President Alfredo Fernández said on social media. “You made us incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all.”

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer great who scored the “Hand of God” goal in 1986 and led his country to that year’s World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, has died. He was 60.

Maradona’s spokesman, Sebastián Sanchi, said he died Wednesday of a heart attack, two weeks after being released from a hospital in Buenos Aires following brain surgery.

The office of Argentina’s president said it will decree three days of national mourning, and the Argentine soccer association expressed its sorrow on Twitter.

One of the most famous moments in the history of the sport, the “Hand of God” goal, came when the diminutive Maradona punched the ball into England’s net during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. England said the ball went in off of Maradona’s hand, not his head. Maradona himself gave conflicting accounts of what had happened over the years, at one point attributing the goal to divine intervention, to “the hand of God.”

Ahead of his 60th birthday in October, Maradona told France Football magazine that it was his dream to “score another goal against the English, this time with the right hand.”

Maradona also captivated fans around the world over a two-decade career with a bewitching style of play that was all his own.

Although his reputation was tarnished by his addictions and an ill-fated spell in charge of the national team, he remained idolized in soccer-mad Argentina as the “Pibe de Oro” or “Golden Boy.”

“You took us to the top of the world,” Argentine President Alfredo Fernández said on social media. “You made us incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all.”

The No. 10 he wore on his jersey became synonymous with him, as it also had with Pelé, the Brazilian great with whom Maradona was regularly paired as the best of all time.

The Brazilian said in a statement he had lost “a dear friend.”

“There is much more to say, but for now may God give his family strength,” Pelé said. “One day, I hope, we will play soccer together in the sky.”

Bold, fast and utterly unpredictable, Maradona was a master of attack, juggling the ball easily from one foot to the other as he raced upfield. Dodging and weaving with his low center of gravity, he shrugged off countless rivals and often scored with a devastating left foot, his most powerful weapon.

“Everything he was thinking in his head, he made it happen with his feet,” said Salvatore Bagni, who played with Maradona at Italian club Napoli.

A ballooning waistline slowed Maradona’s explosive speed later in his career and by 1991 he was snared in his first doping scandal when he admitted to a cocaine habit that haunted him until he retired in 1997, at 37.

Hospitalized near death in 2000 and again in ’04 for heart problems blamed on cocaine, he later said he overcame the drug problem. Cocaine, he once said famously, had proven to be his “toughest rival.”

But more health problems followed, despite a 2005 gastric bypass that greatly trimmed his weight. Maradona was hospitalized in early 2007 for acute hepatitis that his doctor blamed on excessive drinking and eating.

He made an unlikely return to the national team in 2008 when he was appointed Argentina coach, but after a quarterfinal exit at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he was ousted — ultimately picking up another coaching job with the United Arab Emirates club Al Wasl.

Maradona was the fifth of eight children who grew up in a poor, gritty barrio on the Buenos Aires outskirts where he played a kind of dirt-patch soccer that launched many Argentines to international stardom.

None of them approached Maradona’s fame. In 2001, FIFA named Maradona one of the two greatest in the sport’s history, alongside Pelé.

AP photo

“Maradona inspires us,” said then-Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, explaining his country’s everyman fascination with Maradona at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. “He’s our idol, and an idol for the people.”

Maradona reaped titles at home and abroad, playing in the early 1980s for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors before moving on to Spanish and Italian clubs. His crowning achievement came at the 1986 World Cup, captaining Argentina in its 3-2 win over West Germany in the final and decisive in a 2-1 victory against England in a feisty quarterfinal match.

Over the protests of England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the referee let stand a goal by Maradona in which, as he admitted years later, he intentionally hit the ball with his hand in “a bit of mischief.”

But Maradona’s impact wouldn’t be confined to cheating. Four minutes later, he spectacularly weaved past four opponents from midfield to beat Shilton for what FIFA later declared the greatest goal in World Cup history.

Many Argentines saw the match as revenge for their country’s loss to Britain in the 1982 war over the Falkland Islands, which Argentines still claim as “Las Malvinas.”

“It was our way of recovering ‘Las Malvinas,’” Maradona wrote in his 2000 autobiography “I am Diego.”

“It was more than trying to win a game. We said the game had nothing to do with the war. But we knew that Argentines had died there, that they had killed them like birds. And this was our revenge. It was something bigger than us: We were defending our flag.”

It also was vindication for Maradona, who in what he later called “the greatest tragedy” of his career was cut from the squad of the 1978 World Cup — which Argentina won at home — because he was only 17.

Maradona said he was given a soccer ball soon after he could run.

“I was 3 years old and I slept hugging that ball all night,” he said.

At 10, Maradona gained fame by performing at halftime of professional matches, wowing crowds by keeping the ball airborne for minutes with his feet, chest and head. He also made his playing debut with the Argentinos Juniors youth team, leading a squad of mostly 14-year-olds through 136 unbeaten matches.

“To see him play was pure bliss, true stardom,” teammate Carlos Beltran said.

Argentine soccer superstar Diego Armando Maradona cheers after the Napoli team clinched its first Italian major league title in Naples, Italy, on May 10, 1987. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. He was 60. (AP Photo)

Maradona played from 1976-81 for first division club Argentinos Juniors, then went to Boca Juniors for a year before heading to Barcelona for a world-record $8 million.

In 1984, Barcelona sold him to Napoli, in Italy. He remade its fortunes almost single-handedly, taking it to the 1987 Italian league championship for its first title in 60 years.

A year after losing the 1990 World Cup final to West Germany, Maradona moved to Spanish club Sevilla, but his career was on the decline. He played five matches at Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys in 1994 before returning to Boca from 1995-97 — his final club and closest to his heart.

Drug problems overshadowed his final playing years.

Maradona failed a doping test in 1991 and was banned for 15 months, acknowledging his longtime cocaine addiction. He failed another doping test for stimulants and was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

In retirement, Maradona frequented Boca matches as a raucous one-man cheering section and took part in worldwide charity, sporting and exhibition events. But the already stocky forward quickly gained weight and was clearly short of breath as he huffed through friendly matches.

In 2000, in what doctors said was a brush with death, he was hospitalized in the Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este with a heart that doctors said was pumping at less than half its capacity. Blood and urine samples turned up traces of cocaine.

After another emergency hospitalization in 2004, Maradona was counseled for drug abuse and in September of that year traveled to Cuba for treatment at Havana’s Center for Mental Health. There he was visited by his friend, Cuban President Fidel Castro.

In Cuba, Maradona took to playing golf and smoking cigars. He frequently praised Castro and Argentine-born revolutionary “Che” Guevara, who fought with Castro in the Cuban revolution — even sporting a tattoo of Guevara on his right arm.

Maradona said he got clean from drugs there and started a new chapter.

In 2005, he underwent gastric bypass in Colombia, shedding nearly 50 kilograms (more than 100 pounds) before appearing as host of a wildly popular Argentine television talk show. On “10’s Night,” Maradona headed around a ball with Pelé, interviewed boxer Mike Tyson and Hollywood celebrities, and taped a lengthy conversation with Castro in Cuba.

In retirement, Maradona also became more outspoken. He sniped frequently at former coaches, players — including Pelé — and the pope. He joined a left-wing protest train outside the Summit of the Americas in 2005, standing alongside Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to denounce the presence of then-President George W. Bush.

His outsider status made it all the more surprising when he was chosen as Argentina coach following Alfio Basile’s resignation.

He won his first three matches but his tactics, selection and attention to detail were all questioned after a 6-1 loss to Bolivia in World Cup qualifying equaled Argentina’s worst-ever margin of defeat.

Victor Hugo Morales, Argentina’s most popular soccer broadcaster, said Maradona will ultimately be remembered for a thrilling style of play that has never been duplicated.

“He has been one of the great artists of my time. Like great masters of music and painting, he has defied our intellect and enriched the human spirit,” Morales said. “Nobody has thrilled me more and left me in such awe as Diego.”

—

Diego Maradona: Argentina legend’s career in pictures (BBC)

Diego Maradona – displaying the World Cup in 1986, during a training session, and with his ex-wife Claudia and their daughters Dalma and Gianina. (BBC)

Colourful doesn’t really do him justice. Diego Maradona was a genius on the football pitch and a controversial figure off it.

From his homeland of Argentina to success in Italy, World Cup glory and his drugs downfall, here’s a look at his life in photos.

Starting out: Maradona made his World Cup finals debut for Argentina at the 1982 tournament in Spain, but really made his mark four years later… (Getty Images)

Calm before the storm: Handshake with England goalkeeper Peter Shilton before the World Cup quarter-final in Mexico in 1986. (Getty Images)

Ridiculous to the sublime: The ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, followed by the ‘Goal of the Century’ (Getty Images)

World class: Maradona was named player of the tournament after inspiring Argentina to victory in 1986, and helped the side reach the final four years later. (BBC)

Read and see more photos at BBC.com »

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

SPORT: Letesenbet Gidey Makes History, Breaks the 5,000-Meter World Record

Published by Tadias Magazine October 7th, 2020 in Sports. Closed

On Wednesday, October 7, the Ethiopian shattered the world record, which previously stood for 12 years, at the NN Valencia World Record Day in Valencia, Spain, by running 14:06.62. Her performance improved on the previous world record of 14:11.15 set by Tirunesh Dibaba in 2008. (Runners World)

Runners World

The previous record, set by Tirunesh Dibaba, stood for 12 years.

One year after finishing second in the 10,000 meters at the 2019 IAAF World Championships, Letesenbet Gidey became the fastest woman to ever run 5,000 meters on the track.

“This is a long time dream and I’m very happy by this competition,” Gidey told race organizers. “It is very big for me.”

From the start, Gidey was in the ideal position to achieve the mark. With guidance from Wavelight technology—a new innovation that uses colored lighting set up along the inside rail of the track to enable athletes to target a specific pace—pacemakers Esther Gurerro and Beatrice Chepkoech brought the 2019 world cross-country bronze medalist through 1,000 meters in 2:38 and 3,000 meters in 8:31.85

In the five remaining laps, Gidey ran alone, maintaining a consistent pace with her metronomic racing style that kept the world record within reach. With 400 meters to go, the 22-year-old unleashed her kick and carried the momentum into the finish line of the historic performance for a 17-second personal best,

The world record was Gidey’s second race of 2020, which has seen numerous race cancellations and meets adjusted for COVID-19 restrictions. Her first race of the year was a runner-up finish to Hellen Obiri in the 5,000 meters at the Diamond League Monaco meet on August 14.

By breaking the 5,000-meter world record, Gidey continued the legacy of Ethiopian runners holding the fastest times. Dibaba is also from Ethiopia. In 2008—the same year she broke the world record in the 5,000 meters—Dibaba won gold in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Beijing Games.

After Gidey broke the 5,000-meter record, Joshua Cheptegei followed with a record of his own. The Ugandan distance runner shattered the world record in the men’s 10,000 meters with a time of 26:11.00.

–

Related:

Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata Wins a Thrilling London Marathon

Shura Kitata wins the London Marathon on Sunday, October 4th, 2020. (Getty Images)

Reuters

Shura Kitata beats Vincent Kipchumba to win thrilling London Marathon

Ethiopian Shura Kitata outsprinted Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba to win a thrilling London Marathon on Sunday as a stunned world record holder Eliud Kipchoge faded late in the race to suffer his first defeat since 2013.

In cold, wet conditions, 24-year-old Kitata edged clear in the final metres to win by one second over Kipchumba in a relatively slow two hours, 05.41 minutes.

Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia was third in 2:5.35, with Kipchoge, the hot favourite, who in his last race a year ago became the only man to break the two hour mark for the distance, eighth in 2:06.49 having suffered cramp and a blocked ear.

In the absence of injured Kenenisa Bekele, Kipchoge was widely expected to lift a fifth London crown but was never able to impose his usual speed in the relentless cold rain.

Shura Kitata overcame favourite Eliud Kipchoge to win the men’s London Marathon. (Reuters)

He was in a pack who went through halfway in just under 63 minutes — very pedestrian in relation to his recent races, not least his official world record of 2:01.39 set in Berlin two years ago.

Ethiopians Lemma and Tamirat Tola, both sporting woollen hats to stave off the cold, took up the running as the field began to realize that, perhaps, Kipchoge was struggling.

They were right. The favourite, whose face never usually gives any indication of suffering, was showing the occasional grimace and he lacked his usual smoothness.

At one point the leaders clocked a five minute mile, a virtual jog at elite level. Then, as never previously seen during his all-conquering career, Kipchoge, 35, broke, dropping back from a pack of six with just over three miles to go.

As the pace eventually picked up it was down to three, shoulder to shoulder, as they entered The Mall in a finish more like an 800m race than a marathon. The tall Kipchumba looked as if he would do it as he edged ahead, but Kitata fought back magnificently to take the tape.

Kitata, who finished second in London in 2018, thanked his missing compatriot for his victory. “Kenenisa Bekele was helping me for this race and he advised me how to run,” he said. “I trained for the same course, I am very happy to win.”

Kipchoge had won 12 of his 13 previous marathons – the blip being a second place behind a then-world record in his second outing over the distance in Berlin in 2013.

“I’m really disappointed, I had a problem with my right ear after it blocked, and then I really cramped and had problems with my hip from about the last 15 km,” he said.

“It’s really cold but I don’t blame the conditions and I’m still there to come back again.”

Earlier, Kenyan world record holder Brigid Kosgei was a comfortable winner of the women’s race in 2:18.58 as American Sara Hall produced a great finish to snatch second from Ruth Chepngetich.

The races, originally postponed from April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, were run over almost 20 laps of a fenced-off course in a “controlled secure biosphere” around St James’s Park.

Although there was no mass field this year, around 40,000 people are running the distance at venues of their choice through the day.

They will receive official finisher’s medals and raise millions of pounds for charities hard hit by the cancellation of the April race.

—

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata Wins a Thrilling London Marathon

Published by Tadias Magazine October 4th, 2020 in Sports. Closed