Diribe Welteji Kejelcha (born 13 May 2002)[1] is an Ethiopian middle-distance runner. She won the silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 2023 World Championships and placed fourth in the 800 metres at the 2022 World Championships.
.jpg) Diribe Welteji in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Diribe Welteji Kejelcha |
| Nationality | Ethiopian |
| Born | 13 May 2002 West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and Field |
| Event(s) | 800 metres 1500 metres |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | |
Medal record | |
At age 16, Welteji won the 800 m at the 2018 World U20 Championships, breaking the championship record in the process. She took silver for the 1500 metres at the 2021 World U20 Championships.
Career
editA 16-year-old Diribe Welteji won the gold medal for the 800 m event at the 2018 World Under-20 Championships in Tampere, where she also competed in the women's 4 × 400 m relay without reaching the final, but achieving an Ethiopian junior record.[1]
In 2019, she won a gold in the 1500 metres at the African U20 Championships, finished sixth in the 800 m event at the African Games in Rabat, and was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 800 m event at the Doha World Championships.[1]
The 19-year-old competed without success in the women's 1500 m at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, but the same month took silver in this event at the World U20 Championships held in Nairobi.[2][1]
Welteji placed fourth in the 800 m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July with a time of 1:57.02.[3] In August, she won her first Diamond League meeting with a 1500 m victory, beating her esteemed compatriot Gudaf Tsegay at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzów, Poland. Welteji improved her personal best by more than two seconds and set a meet record with 3:56.91.[4]
On October 1, 2023, Welteji broke the 1 mile women's road record by running 4:20.98 in Riga at the World Athletics Road Running Championships.[5]
In December 2024, it was announced that she had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track.Track]].[6]
Achievements
editInternational competitions
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | World U20 Championships | Tampere, Finland | 1st | 800 m | 1:59.74 WU20L CR |
| 13th (h) | 4x400 m relay | 3:39.29 NU20R | |||
| 2019 | African U20 Championships | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 1st | 1500 m | 4:11.59 |
| African Games | Rabat, Morocco | 6th | 800 m | 2:04.20 | |
| World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 18th (sf) | 800 m | 2:02.69 | |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 35th (h) | 1500 m | 4:10.25 |
| World U20 Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 2nd | 1500 m | 4:16.39 | |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 4th | 800 m | 1:57.02 PB |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | 1500 m | 3:55.69 |
| World Athletics Road Running Championships | Riga, Latvia | 1st | Road mile | 4:20.98 WR | |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 5th | 1500 m | 4:03.82 |
| Olympic Games | Paris, France | 4th | 1500 m | 3:52.75 |
Circuit wins
editPersonal bests
edit- 800 metres – 1:57.02 (Eugene, OR July 2022)
- 1500 metres – 3:53.93 (Eugene, OR September 2023)
- 3000 metres indoor – 8:33.44 (Val-de-Reuil February 2023)
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Diribe WELTEJI – Athlete profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- ^ "Athletics WELTEJI Diribe". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ Kelsall, Christopher (2022-07-29). "Did Athing Mu impede Keely Hodgkinson during the 800m final at World Athletics Championships?". Athletics Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
- ^ Chris Broadbent (6 August 2022). "Fraser-Pryce flies to world-leading 10.66 in Silesia". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Diribe Welteji Sets A New World Record In The Women's Road Mile In A Stunning Upset In Riga". 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ^ "Grand Slam Track Announces Final Five Racers For 2025 Season". FloTrack. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
