Zersenay Tadese

Zersenay Tadese (born February 9, 1982 in Adi Bana) is an Eritrean long distance track, and road running athlete.

He became the first person in Eritrean sporting history to win an Olympic medal. Zersenay took the bronze in the 10,000 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece behind Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele, and Sileshi Sihine. [cite web|url=http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/athens2004/track_field/results?medals|title=http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/athens2004/track_field/results?medals|accessdate=2007-10-23]

In 2005, he won the Great North Run in Newcastle, with a record breaking time.

In April 2006, he finished fourth in the long race at the World Cross Country Championships, winning a silver medal in the team competition. On 2006-09-10 he won the Rotterdam Half Marathon, and in October 2006 he won the gold medal at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships.

On 31 December 2006 he ran a new World Record over 10 kilometres road race in the San Silvestre Vallence race in Madrid. In a heavy battle between him and Eliud Kipchoge he finished in 26:54, breaking Haile Gebrselassie's record of 27:02. Tadese did however not win the race, he and Kipchoge were awarded the same time with Kipchoge as the winner of the race. [ [http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=37145.html Kipchoge breaks 27 minute barrier in Madrid] - IAAF]

On 24 March 2007, he won the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, beating five time world cross country champion Kenenisa Bekele (who dropped out after Tadese had left him behind late in the race.) [cite news|url=http://archive.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=168229|date=2007-03-24|title=Tadesse takes title as Bekele loses stomach for cross country fight|accessdate=2007-10-23]

On 21 July 2007 he won the 10,000 m at the All-Africa Games in Algiers. [ [http://www.shabait.com/staging/publish/article_006935.html In Algiers, another landmark for Tadese] - Shabait.com]

In the World Athletics Championships he finished 6th and 4th in the 10,000m at the 2005 and 2007 events respectively.

On 23 September 2007 he won the Dam tot Damloop (which is 10 Miles) in the Netherlands in 45 minutes and 51 seconds. He finished a half minute before Bernard Kipyego and a minute before James Rotich.

On 14 October 2007 he successfully defended his title at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine.

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