21 Facts About Meseret Defar

Meseret Defar Tola is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes chiefly in the 3,000 metres and 5,000 metres events.

Meseret Defar has won medals at top-tier international competitions including Olympic and World Championship gold medals over 5,000 metres.

Meseret Defar broke the world record in the event in 2006, broke it again in 2007 and held it until 2008, when fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba beat her time.

Meseret Defar has experienced similar success in the World Championships, taking silver in the 2005 Helsinki Championships and gold at the 2007 Osaka Championships.

Meseret Defar held the indoor records for the 5000 metres, 3,000 metres and two-mile run.

Meseret Defar has dominated the 3,000 m indoor event, winning four consecutive gold medals at the IAAF World Indoor Championships from 2004 to 2010.

Meseret Defar is a two-time champion at the All-Africa Games, a four-time medalist at the African Championships and a two-time gold medalist at the World Junior Championships.

Meseret Defar took a break from competition in 2014 in order to start a family.

Meseret Defar vowed to return by 2015 although she did not compete in the August World Championships in Beijing.

Meseret Defar won the 5,000 metres gold medal at the inaugural Afro-Asian Games in 2003.

Meseret Defar won gold medals in the women's 5,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens with a time of 14:45.65 and 5,000 metres at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Meseret Defar won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which was upgraded to a silver medal after the disqualification of Turkish athlete Elvan Abeylegesse.

Also in 2007, Meseret Defar won the female IAAF World Athlete of the Year award.

Meseret Defar won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, losing only to Tirunesh Dibaba.

At the 2008 African Championships in Athletics, Meseret Defar was defeated in the 5000 m by compatriot Meselech Melkamu.

Meseret Defar began the 2009 athletics season by improving upon her personal bests, setting a new 5000 m world indoor record of 14:24.37 and an indoor world best over two miles with a 9:06.26 run.

Meseret Defar competed in the 10,000 metres event at the British national trials in July, attempting to take a spot on the Ethiopian team at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics.

Meseret Defar made her half marathon debut at the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon and succeeded first time, winning in a time of 1:07:44.

Meseret Defar won her second world title in the 5000m 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow in a time of 14:50:19.

Meseret Defar won the race by staying close to the front, but without taking the lead before pulling away with 200m left.

Meseret Defar is a Christian who is a part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church who exhibited her religious beliefs publicly, when celebrating her 5000 meter win at 2012 Olympics by revealing and venerating an icon of Mary and Baby Jesus.