Congratulations to Tirunesh & Belaynesh
Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on August 11, 2013
Addis Ethiopia Weblog
Ethiopia's World / የኢትዮጵያ ዓለም
Relevant Links
Archives
Categories
-
Recent Posts
- MUST WATCH Senator Paul GRILLS Moderna CEO on Myocarditis -Have You Vaccinated YOUR CHILDREN- March 23, 2023
- WOW: Rand Paul Directly Confronts Antony Blinken About COVID-19 Research Funding Records March 23, 2023
- Sen. Ted Cruz Hammers Antony Blinken During Tense Senate Hearing March 23, 2023
- The Weeknd Named The Most Popular Musician in The World | Wow! Who Felt It Coming, Trump or I? March 23, 2023
- Uganda Passes Law That Will Impose The Death Penalty on LGBTQ+ People March 22, 2023
- Christians Need to Stand up Against ‘LGBT Agenda’ Says Fired Christian Theology Lecturer March 22, 2023
- LGBT+ Protesters Attempt to Shut Down St Michael’s Church Meeting and Are Attacked and Beaten March 22, 2023
Addis Ethiopia Weblog 
Lucas said
This morning, the news from the Athletics (Track & Field) World Championships in Moscow is all about Usain Bolt regaining his 100m World Title (he was disqualified for a false start two years ago in Daegu after winning and setting a World record in Berlin in 2009). The British newspapers are also waxing lyrically of Mo Farrah’s impressive win in the 10,000m on Saturday evening, beating Ethiopia’s Ibrahim Jeilan, the man who beat him two years ago into second place.
There is, sadly, almost no mention of what to me was the most impressive performance of the weekend, that of Tirunesh Dibaba. She won the women’s 10,000m in majestic style. There is nothing about her victory in the Disnunited Kingdom’s The Times, The Telegraph or The Guardian (the three quality British newspapers), The New York Times mentions her in passing in its summary of the weekend’s action, and France’s Le Monde also fails to mention her completely. The BBC sports website has a very short mention of her; not quite nothing but little more than nothing.
Why is this?
Admittedly it is difficult to compete for headlines with the showman of athletics, Usain Bolt. And in winning his fourth World Championships gold medal (100m and 200m in Berlin in 2009, 200m in Daegu in 2011 and now the 100m in Moscow), he is cementing his place as one of the all-time great sprinters. He is a larger than life character, and the cameras follow his every move when his is competing. Last night, Bolt was competing in the 3rd of the three semi-finals, a couple of hours before the final. The camera was panning down the starting line-up for the 2nd semi-final, but just before the runners went into their blocks the TV coverage cut away to show Bolt sitting watching the semi-final before his! We nearly missed seeing the start of the second semi-final just so we could see Bolt watching it.
In contrast, in very stark contrast, Tirunesh Dibaba virtually goes below the radar. Why is this? Last night she won her fifth World Championships Gold medal, adding to an already impressive tally of gold medals which also includes 3 Olympic Gold medals and 5 World Cross Country Championship Golds. She has never been beaten in a 10,000m race. Yet I suspect most people have never heard of her.
One possibility is that the 10,000m is not as “sexy” an event as the 100m. But the coverage given to Mo Farrah suggests that people are interested in the 10,000m. So I can only assume it is because Dibaba is a shy, unassuming athlete. Also, she does not speak English, so doesn’t give any interviews to the English-language media. She doesn’t seek the spotlight, she just gets on with winning, and winning to such an extent that she is probably the greatest women track athlete of all time.
At least Dirbaba is a heroin in her native Ethiopia. She probably would prefer that were not the case; unlike Bolt who relishes the attention of the World’s media, one gets the impression that Dibaba would hate that level of attention. So let us give her the privacy she prefers, but revel in the privilege of seeing such a remarkable athlete run, or should I say flow (as she has one of the most beautiful running styles I’ve ever seen) on the running track.
Do you think Dirbaba is the greatest woman athlete ever?
http://thecuriousastronomer.wordpress.com/2013/08/12/tirunesh-dibaba-queen-of-the-track/