Yigrem Demelash (born 26 January 1994) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He was the 2012 World Junior champion in the 10,000 metres. He holds a personal best of 26:57.56 minutes for that event.
 Yigrem Demelash at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Ethiopia
| ||
| IAAF World U20 Championships | ||
 |
2012 Barcelona | 10,000 m |
His first high-profile competition was the 2011 Great Ethiopian Run, where he finished as runner-up to Mosinet Geremew.[1] He began competing in Europe the following year and at the Paderborn 10K was again second to his compatriot Mosinet Geremew.[2] On the track, he ran a 5000 metres personal best of 13:03.30 minutes at the Bislett Games in Oslo before going on to secure the 10,000 metres gold medal at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics, overturning a history of Kenyan dominance at that event.[3] He closed his season with a run of 26:57.56 minutes in the 10,000 m at the Memorial Van Damme, setting an Ethiopian junior record.[2] This race was the fastest of the year so his fourth-place finish translated into fourth in the world rankings for the season.[4]
He entered the senior ranks in 2013 and promptly finished second at the Jan Meda International – Ethiopia's cross country championships.[5] He was unable to repeat this form at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, however, and in 69th place he was the last man of his team to finish.[6] He was again involved in the fastest 10,000 m of the season, this time his run of 27:15.51 minutes brought him seventh on the yearly rankings.[7] He missed most of the 2014 season, with the highlight being a runner-up finish behind Abera Kuma at the Zevenheuvelenloop road race.[8]
Demelash had a stellar 2016 season, topping the world rankings, and emerging as a favorite to medal at the Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Demelash competed in the Men's 10,000 metres, finishing in 4th place, only one hundredth of a second behind his teammate, Tamirat Tola. Demelash made a strong surge in the last 10 metres, but Tola was able to reach the finish line quickly enough to elude him.
Personal bests edit
- 3000 metres – 7:59.87 min (2013)
- 5000 metres – 13:03.30 (2012)
- 10,000 metres – 26:51.11 (2016)
- 10K run – 27:54 (2012)
International competitions edit
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | World Junior Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 10,000 metres |
| 2013 | World Cross Country Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 69th | Senior race |
References edit
- ^ Negash, Elshadai (2011-11-27). Geremew, Afework take surprise Great Ethiopian Run 10km victories . IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
- ^ a b Yigrem Demelash. Global Sports Communications. Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2012-07-10). Barcelona 2012 - Event Report - Men's 10,000m Final". IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
- ^ 10,000 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2012. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
- ^ Negash, Elshadai (2013-02-24). Lilesa and Ayalew capture impressive wins at Ethiopian Cross Trials. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
- ^ Yigrem Demelash. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
- ^ 10,000 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2013. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
- ^ Ethiopiër Abera Kuma wint Zevenheuvelenloop. ED.nl (2014-11-16). Retrieved on 2015-02-08.
