Olympic history of Ethiopia
22nd | 10 | 21st |
Ethiopia , whose NOK , the Ethiopian Olympic Committee , was founded in 1948 andrecognizedby the IOC in1954, has participated in the Summer Olympic Games since 1956. In 1976, Ethiopia followed the African boycott of the Montreal Games. In 1984 and 1988 there was no participation. In 2006, Ethiopia took part in the Winter Games for the first time.
In total, Ethiopian athletes won 53 medals: 22 gold, 10 silver and 21 bronze medals. All medals were won in athletics disciplines.
General overview
1956 to 1972
For the first time an Ethiopian team was sent to the Melbourne Summer Games in 1956 . Twelve men competed in athletics and cycling, but were unsuccessful. 1960 in Rome the first medal win, at the same time the first Olympic victory, could be celebrated. The marathon runner Abebe Bikila won the gold medal. This was particularly noteworthy because he entered the competition barefoot.
Bikila was able to repeat his Olympic victory in Tokyo in 1964 , this time he ran with running shoes. He was the first Olympic marathon champion to defend his title. For the first time, Ethiopian boxers took part in the Olympic tournament. Also in 1968 in Mexico City , the Olympic marathon champion came from Ethiopia, this time Mamo Wolde won , who also won silver in the 10,000 meter run.
Two bronze medals were added in Munich in 1972 : Mamo Wolde in the marathon and Miruts Yifter over 10,000 meters.
1976 to 1988
In 1976 Ethiopia was one of 28 African countries that boycotted the Montreal Games. The reason was the tour of a New Zealand rugby union team through South Africa , which had broken the international sports ban against the apartheid regime.
In 1980 in Moscow , with Fantaye Sirak and Amsale Woldegibriel, Ethiopian women competed for the first time. Miruts Yifter became the first Ethiopian double Olympic champion with his victories over 5000 and 10,000 meters. Two bronze medals were added by Mohamed Kedir over 10,000 meters and Eshetu Tura over 3000 meters.
In 1984 the socialist countries called for a boycott for the Los Angeles Games . Also the Games in Seoul in 1988 stayed away from Ethiopia. They showed solidarity with North Korea for boycotting the games.
From 1992
In 1992 in Barcelona the first medal win, at the same time the first Olympic victory, a woman could be celebrated. Derartu Tulu won the 10,000 meter run. Fita Bayissa also won bronze over 5000 meters, Addis Abebe over 10,000 meters. In 1996 in Atlanta , Haile Gebrselassie won gold over 10,000 meters and Fatuma Roba in the marathon. Gete Wami won bronze over 10,000 meters.
With eight medals, the Sydney 2000 Games were the most successful games for Ethiopia. Gebrselassie defended his title over 10,000 meters. Tulu also won the 10,000 meter race after 1996. Million Wolde won over 5000 meters and Gezahegne Abera the marathon. Gete Wami won silver over 10,000 meters and bronze over 5000 meters. There were also bronze medals in the men's marathon through Tesfaye Tola and in the men's 10,000-meter run through Assefa Mezgebu .
The long-distance runners won seven medals in Athens in 2004 . Two gold medals by Kenenisa Bekele (10,000 m) and Meseret Defar (5000 m) were won by three silver medals by Bekele (5000 m), Sileshi Sihine (10,000 m) and Ejagayehu Dibaba (10,000 m) and two bronze medals by Tirunesh Dibaba (5000 m) and Derarta Tulu (10,000 m) added.
In 2006 in Turin , cross-country skier Robel Teklemariam , an Ethiopian winter sports enthusiast took part for the first time. Teklemariam was also the only Ethiopian participant in the 2010 Vancouver Games .
Four gold medals from two athletes followed at the 2008 Beijing Games . Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele triumphed over 5000 and 10,000 meters, respectively. Sileshi Sihine won silver over 10,000 meters, Meseret Defar bronze over 5000 m and Tsegay Kebede bronze in the marathon.
In 2012 in London , Tirunesh Dibaba was the first woman to defend her Olympic victory over 10,000 meters. With three gold and three bronze medals (a bronze medal over 5000 meters in London and one over 10,000 meters in Rio were added) she is the most successful (cross-gender) participant in Ethiopia at the Olympic Games. Tiki Gelana in the marathon and Meseret Defar over 5000 meters also won gold. Silver by Sofia Assefa over 3000 meters obstacle and Dejen Gebremeskel over 5000 meters, as well as Dibaba's bronze medal over 5000 meters and Tariku Bekele over 10,000 meters were added.
Ethiopian athletes also won eight medals in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 . However, only one Olympic victory was achieved by Almaz Ayana over 10,000 meters. While Genzebe Dibaba won silver over 1500 meters and Feyisa Lilesa in the marathon, bronze medals went to Tirunesh Dibaba (10,000 m), Tamirat Tola (10,000 m), Mare Dibaba (marathon), Almaz Ayana (5000 m) and Hagos Gebrhiwet (5000 m) . In Rio, Ethiopian swimmers took part in the Olympic Games for the first time.
IOC members
Dagmawit Girmay Berhane , President of the Ethiopian Badminton Association, has been a member of the IOC since 2013 .
Overview of the participants
Summer games
year | Athletes | Flag bearer | sports | Medals | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
total | m | w | total | rank | ||||||||||
1896-1952 | not participated | |||||||||||||
1956 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 8th | 4th | |||||||||
1960 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 21st | ||||||
1964 | 12 | 12 | 0 | Abebe Bikila | 5 | 4th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 | ||||
1968 | 18th | 18th | 0 | Abebe Bikila | 9 | 5 | 4th | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25th | |||
1972 | 31 | 31 | 0 | Mamo Wolde | 20th | 6th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 41 | ||||
1976 | not participated | |||||||||||||
1980 | 41 | 39 | 2 | Miruts Yifter | 25th | 8th | 8th | 2 | 2 | 4th | 17th | |||
1984-1988 | not participated | |||||||||||||
1992 | 20th | 14th | 6th | Addis Abebe | 15th | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 33 | ||||
1996 | 18th | 10 | 8th | Fita Bayissa | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 34 | ||||
2000 | 26th | 15th | 11 | Derartu Tulu | 24 | 2 | 4th | 1 | 3 | 8th | 20th | |||
2004 | 26th | 14th | 12 | Abel Aferalign | 24 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7th | 28 | |||
2008 | 27 | 14th | 13 | Miruts Yifter | 27 | 4th | 1 | 2 | 7th | 18th | ||||
2012 | 33 | 18th | 15th | Yanet Gebremedhin | 31 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7th | 24 | |||
2016 | 38 | 18th | 20th | Robel Kiros had | 35 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8th | 44 | ||
total | 22nd | 10 | 21st | 53 | 36 |
Winter games
year | Athletes | Flag bearer | sports | Medals | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
total | m | w | total | rank | ||||||
1924-2002 | not participated | |||||||||
2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Robel Teklemariam | 1 | |||||
2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Robel Teklemariam | 1 | |||||
2014-2018 | not participated | |||||||||
total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
List of medal winners
Gold medals
Silver medals
Surname | Games | sport | discipline |
---|---|---|---|
Mamo Wolde | 1968 Mexico City | athletics | 10,000 meters |
Gete Wami | 2000 Sydney | athletics | 10,000 meters |
Kenenisa Bekele | 2004 Athens | athletics | 5000 meters |
Ejegayehu Dibaba | 2004 Athens | athletics | 10,000 meters |
Sileshi Sihine | 2004 Athens | athletics | 10,000 meters |
Sileshi Sihine | 2008 Beijing | athletics | 10,000 meters |
Dejen Gebremeskel | 2012 London | athletics | 5000 meters |
Genzebe Dibaba | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | athletics | 1500 meters |
Feyisa Lilesa | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | athletics | marathon |
Bronze medals
Medals by sport
sport | gold | silver | bronze | total |
---|---|---|---|---|
athletics | 22nd | 10 | 21st | 53 |
total | 22nd | 10 | 21st | 53 |
Web links
- Ethiopia in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )
- Ethiopia on Olympic.org - The Official website of the Olympic movement (English)