Madina Eisa Wins Gold Medal in Women’s 5,000m at World Under-20 Athletics Championships
The World Under-20 Athletics Championships kicked off yesterday in Peru, attracting young talents from around the globe.
Among the participating nations, Ethiopia has made a strong showing, sending a team of promising athletes to compete in Lima.
In the competition’s early days, the finals for the 5,000m race in both men’s and women’s categories have already been held, and Ethiopian athletes have claimed podium finishes in both events.
In a thrilling performance, Ethiopia secured the gold and silver medals in the women’s 5,000m final.
Madina Eisa led the charge, crossing the finish line with an impressive time of 14 minutes, 39.71 seconds, clinching Ethiopia’s first gold medal of the championship.
Eisa’s victory was particularly remarkable as she shattered the previous Under-20 world record, held by fellow Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba since 2010, by a stunning 28 seconds.
Eisa, who had finished seventh at the Paris Olympics just two weeks ago, expressed her joy in an interview after the race, saying she was thrilled to win and improve on her post-Olympic performance.
Another Ethiopian, Mekdes Alemeshete, followed closely behind, securing the silver medal with a time of 14 minutes, 57.44 seconds.
Ugandan athlete Charity Cherop took the bronze, completing the podium in a highly competitive race.
In the men’s 5,000m final, Ethiopia’s Abdisa Fayisa claimed the silver medal, finishing second behind Kenya’s Andrew Kiptu, who took the gold. Ugandan Kenneth Kiprop rounded out the top three with a bronze medal.
As of now, Ethiopia is leading the medal tally at the championships, with a total of three medals: one gold and two silver.
Australia and Kenya are currently ranked second and third, respectively, while only eight countries have managed to make it onto the medal table so far.
The World Under-20 Athletics Championships in Lima has drawn participation from over 1,700 athletes representing 130 countries.
The event is set to conclude next Saturday, promising more thrilling performances and the emergence of future stars in athletics.
Ethiopia’s strong showing at the World Under-20 Championships follows its commendable performance at the 33rd Paris Olympics earlier this year, where the country won a total of four medals—one gold and three silver—placing 47th globally and 4th in Africa.
The 2024 Olympics also saw African athletes achieving historic victories. Botswana celebrated its first Olympic gold in the men’s 200m, thanks to the remarkable Letsile Tebogo, while Algeria won its first Olympic gold in artistic gymnastics with Kaylia Nemour’s stunning performance.
Out of the 54 African nations competing in the Paris Olympics, only 12 made it to the medal table.
Kenya led the continent with an impressive haul of four gold, two silver, and five bronze medals, finishing 17th in the world.
