Dawit Wolde

Dawit Wolde in 2016

Dawit Wolde (born 19 May 1991) is an Ethiopian middle distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. A medallist at the World Youth Championships and the African Junior Athletics Championships, he has represented Ethiopia at the African Championships in Athletics and the All-Africa Games. He was chosen to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Olympics. His 1500 m personal best is 3:33.82 minutes.

Career

Born in Debre Zeyit in Ethiopia's Oromia Region,[1] he came to international prominence as a teenager with a bronze medal at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics and a silver at the 2007 African Junior Athletics Championships.[2][3] He set a personal best of 3:41.25 minutes for the 1500 m that year at the Meeting Iberoamericano. He ran at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics but was eliminated in the first round.[4]

Dawit knocked nearly five seconds off his best in 2009. He won the Josef Odlozil Memorial 1500 m,[5] took bronze at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships,[6] and closed the season with a best of 3:36.74 minutes at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.[4] A third-place finish in the 800 metres at the 2010 Ethiopian Athletics Championships led to an appearance in that event at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics,[7] where he was a semi-finalist. He had top three finishes on the 2011 European track and field circuit, highlighted by a run of 3:34.13 minutes in Oordegem.[4] He was a 1500 m finalist at the 2011 All-Africa Games, but did not finish in the final.[8]

He had a successful debut over the half marathon distance at the 2012 Egmond Half Marathon, breaking a thirteen-year-old course record with a time of 60:46 minutes.[9] He was less successful at the Prague Half Marathon, coming eighth, but his 1500 m performances improved: he ran 3:33.82 minutes at the FBK Games and set a mile run best of 3:57.48 minutes at the Prefontaine Classic.[4] As the second fastest Ethiopian that season, he was chosen for the Ethiopian team for the 2012 London Olympics.[10]

In 2015 he competed at the World Championship in the 1500 m.[11]

In 2016, he reached the final of the 1500 m at the World Indoor Championship, finishing in 5th place.[11] That year, he also reached the semifinals of the 1500m at the 2016 Olympics.[11]

Personal bests

References

  1. ^ Dawit Wolde Archived 2012-07-28 at the Wayback Machine. London2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Boys 1500m Final". IAAF. 15 July 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  3. ^ African Junior Championships 2007 Archived 2014-04-07 at the Wayback Machine. World Junior Athletics History. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d "Wolde Dawit". IAAF. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  5. ^ Juck, Alfons (9 June 2009). "Spotakova improves to 68.23m". IAAF. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  6. ^ "African Junior Championships 2009". World Junior Athletics History. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  7. ^ Negash, Elshadai (3 May 2010). "Abdosh, G. Dibaba, and Utura produce the highlights at the Ethiopian Championships". IAAF. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  8. ^ "2011 All Africa Games results". AfricaAthle. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  9. ^ van Hemert, Wim (9 January 2012). "In debut, Wolde sets course record at Egmond Half Marathon". IAAF. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Ethiopia to send squad of 33 to London". IAAF. 10 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  11. ^ a b c "Dawit WOLDE | Profile". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2021-01-30.