The three-time Olympic gold medalist and nine-time world champion is one of the greatest female endurance runners of all-time. Here the 32-year-old Ethiopian legend and reigning Chicago Marathon champion explains her passion for running.
“I was motivated and inspired to run from a young age because of the success my older sisters and my cousin Derartu Tulu (the 1992 and 2000 Olympic 10,000m champion) enjoyed in the sport. I started running at school. I used to win all the races. In fact, I was so successful I was regularly assigned to race against the boys!
“I later developed into a professional runner and enjoyed my first major senior success when winning the World 10,000m title at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris. That was the moment for me when I knew I possessed a gift for running.
“Running has given me so much throughout my life. It is always a thrill for me. It makes me happy and my passion is such that nothing else in life can match that same high I get when running.
“I also love the competitive side of the sport and nothing beats that feeling of winning after putting in many months of hard training in the countdown to a big race.
“Of course, running has also brought its financial rewards and transformed my life and that of my family. I am a country girl from a farm and my success in athletics has allowed me to live a comfortable life in the city of Addis Ababa.
“From my perspective, I cannot imagine a life without running and I would encourage anyone else to run because it is good for your health and it can become a joyful experience in your daily life.’

Who said Ethiopia will be absent from the 2018 Russia World Cup final? Thanks to international arbiter Bamlak Tessema Weyesa, the tri color is to sail at world’s biggest sport stage.
Bamlak is among the six referees selected from Africa to officiate in the FIFA World Cup. According to a statement from FIFA the selected referees will be attending a two weeklong seminar in the Italian FA (FIGC) technical center Coverciano on April 2018. Following the seminar in Coverciano, the Referee Committee of the world football governing body is set to select Video Assistant Referees. A last and final round preparatory seminar will be given out to the selected referees 10 days prior to the World Cup kickoff in Moscow.
Bamlak had a magnificent 2017 as he went on to officiate a major tournament final when he handled the CAF Total Champions League between 8 times African champions Al Ahly and Moroccan outfit Wydad Casablanca. In 2018, he has officiated CHAN games and he will also be handling the CAF Total Confederations Cup 2nd round qualifier between Zambian side Zanaco and Moroccan outfit Raja Casablanca before heading to Italy.
The 38 year-old down to earth Bamlak, kicked-off his international career in 2009 and the record in his 65 international matches gave him the dream-come-true chance making him the third Ethiopian to officiate at World Cup finals next to Tesfaye G/Eyesus and Lulseged Begashaw.

Netsanet Gudeta gave a portrayal of someone who had been supremely confident of getting the gold medal at the post-race press conference for the IAAF/Trinidad Alfonso World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018 but sometimes a peek behind the curtains of the puppet show is required, followed by a quiet word with the man who pulls the strings.
It’s probably not exactly how Gudeta’s Italian manager Gianni Demadonna would really like to be described but having guided her career since she first came to international attention when winning the Great Ethiopian Run in 2013, he was able to provide another perspective on the Ethiopian’s stunning performance in Valencia on Saturday.
It was an outing that ended with her not only winning her first global title but also improving the women’s-only race half marathon world record by 14 seconds to 1:06:11.
What he revealed was that the championships were not even part of her plans until barely a month ago, despite her finishing sixth and fourth at the last two editions and standing on the podium having led the Ethiopian to team silver medals on both occasions, and certainly the world record was not on anybody’s radar.
She has missed out on global championships on the track in the last three years, finishing sixth in the Ethiopian 10,000m championships in 2015, fourth over the same distance at the 2016 Olympic trials and then had just one outing on the track last year when she finished third in the national championships 5000m but wasn’t picked for London.
However, regardless of where and when Netsanet next races, after Valencia she will hear the announcer proclaim her as “world champion and world record holder” as she is introduced to the crowd.

Arguably the best women footballer in the country Birtukan G/Kiristos was recalled to Ethiopian Women’s national side Lucy ahead of Wednesday’s big away clash against Libya for the 2018 CAF Women African Cup of Nations first round qualification match.
Twenty national teams play in two leg first round qualification fixtures, the winners will join the four teams who have a bye to the second round qualification matches. Seven teams that get through the second round qualification will join Ghana which qualified automatically as hosts.
Though Birtukan’s absence from the initial selection called for an avalanche from fans over head coach Selam Zeray, it is unlucky that her team mate’s sudden injury on Tuesday gave way to Birtukan’s return to the Lucy camp. The most experienced play maker and Lucy skipper Birtukan’s addition to the squad is likely to give a moral boosting to the team that is bound to Libya via Egypt today.
The twenty five player squad “Lucy” has been in camp since 13th March. They have been intensely preparing, including games against men’s youth sides. Except for three friendly matches against Men’s Youth teams including the Youth Academy, there haven’t been any exhibitions. “Selam could do nothing about organizing an international friendly and the Federation is nowhere around to support it,” suggested a coach who claims to be close to the boss.   “When it comes to Lucy’s preparation it is always a half-baked commitment from the Football Federation,” he added.
With the first leg match taking place on Wednesday the 4th, the return leg is scheduled for the tenth of April, 2018. Lucy are the favorites to go past the first qualification round.