On Nov.23, 2019, Olympic legend Athlete Derartu Tulu has received “Woman of the Year Award” for her outstanding contribution to athletics over the years from World Athletics. She made a history in empowering others and an exemplary for other athletes.
The title was announced at the annual awards ceremony of sport’s governing body in Monaco.
Her first significant win came in a 400 meter race in her school where she out run the school’s first male athlete. That along with a win in 800 meters race in her district convincingly put her in path of successful career in Athletics.
In 1988, Derartu represented distric of Arsi and competed in a national 1500 meters race where she won a bronze medal. Olympic Games Legends Cover, Derartu Tulu grew up tending cattle in the Arsi high-land. She didn’t realize that she was unusually fast runner until she was 16 years old. When she was 17 years old Ethiopian Police hired her. In 1989, the first international race of her was 6 kilometer cross-country in Norway but was 23rd.
Within a year time, she won the Gold Medal in the same race. She won international recognition and success in the 90’s. Her record-setting win in the 10,000 meter race in Bulgaria and her win in the same distance race in Cairo, Egypt are worth mentioning.
Speaking during the ceremony, Abiyi Hofnan, Council Member of World Athletics said Derartu won “Woman of the Year award” for her outstanding contribution and improvements to athletics both on and off track over the years.
In 1992, she became the first Ethiopian and black African woman to win an Olympic Medal by 10, 000 meter in Barcelona. She repeated that fit after eight years later in Sydney as well as winning championship gold medal in badminton. Off the track she had a huge success a cross-country in with American distances particularly in London and Tokyo, said
In various races she brought the gold, silver and bronze medals to her people and country. In her short but on-going career, she has managed to win 35 gold, 12 silver and 15 bronze medals.
During the ceremony in Monaco, Barcelona Olympic is the beginning for Ethiopian woman athletes to come to the front. Now Ethiopian female athletes are becoming successful in different tracks.
In the 10, 000m final at the 1992 Olympics, Elana Meyer of South Africa pulled away from the field after 6,100m and only Derartu was able to keep the pace with her. Meyer tried to force Derartu to pass her, but she refused. Finally just before the start of the last lap, Derartu darted into the lead and went on to win by 30m. She became the first black African Woman to earn an Olympic Medal.
In 1992, Derartu Tulu became the first black African woman to win an Olympic Gold, in somewhat of a surprise. She did so by winning the 10,000 meter ahead of Elana Meyer of South Africa, with whom she had led the race most of the way, distancing the field. It was considered a landmark event, as South Africa was re-admitted to the Olympics in 1992.
Moreover, she had won the World Junior title in the 10,000 in 1990 and the 10,000 m gold at the 1991 All-African Games and silver at the 1991 IAAF World Cross-Country Championships.
After the Olympics, Tulu also won 10,000m at the 1992 IAAF World Cup. She missed the next few seasons due to a knee injury, but came back in 1995 to win a 10K silver at the World Championships and gold at the International Cross-Country Championships. Injuries hampered her in 1996, including at the Atlanta Olympics, but she returned in 1997, to win other gold at the International Cross-Country Championships.
In 2000, she became the first woman, to repeat in the Olympic 10 kilometer, and also won her third title at the International Cross-Country Championships. In 2001, she began concentrating on marathons, winning the London Marathon in the spring and Tokyo Marathon in the fall. Between those marathons, she also won her only track World title, in the 10 kilometer. Her last major track international came at the 2004 Olympics, winning 10 kilometer bronze. Her last major win came at the 2009 New York Marathon and she retired from sports in 2011.
Now, she is serving people and empowering athletes as acting president of athletics federation.
The Ethiopian Herald December3, 2019
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
