Haile Gebrselassie
Ethiopian legend, Haile Gebrselassie, dominated global distance running for decades.
Chronology: 1973-04-18 – Present
Origins & Early Life
Haile Gebrselassie (Amharic: ኀይሌ ገብረ ሥላሴ, romanized: Haylē Gebre Silassē; born 18 April 1973) is an Ethiopian former long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman. He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship titles over the 10,000 metres and won the Berlin Marathon on four consecutive occasions between 2006 and 2009. He also earned four world titles indoors and was the 2001 World Half Marathon Champion. He is considered to be one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
Haile had major competition wins at distances between 1,500 metres and the marathon, moving from outdoor, indoor and cross country running to road running in the latter part of his career. He broke 61 Ethiopian national records, ranging from 800 metres to the marathon, set 27 world records, and is regarded as one of the greatest long-distance runners in history. He won the 2008 Berlin Marathon with a world record time of 2:03:59, breaking his own world record by 27 seconds. The record stood for three years. Haile's 10,000 m Masters age group world record remains unchallenged since 2008.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
Due to his various achievements on track & road running events, many called him as the "Emperor...
Source: Wikipedia