Tirunesh Dibaba

Biography

Tirunesh Dibaba glides over the track with a floating stride that makes distance running look effortless. Three Olympic golds and five world championship titles make her the most decorated female distance runner in history. At Beijing 2008, she became the first woman to complete the 5000m-10,000m double, winning both with devastating kicks that left rivals grasping. Her nickname says it all: "The Baby Faced Destroyer." She could sit on leaders for laps, then unleash a finishing burst that nobody could match. For a decade, she was the queen of Ethiopian distance running.

Career Highlights

• 3 Olympic gold medals
• 5 World Championship golds
• First woman to double 5000m/10000m at Olympics
• World records in 5000m
• Dominated distance running for decade

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