Diribe Welteji

Diribe Welteji Kejelcha (born 13 May 2002)[1] is an Ethiopian middle-distance runner. She won the silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 2023 World Championships and placed fourth in the 800 metres at the 2022 World Championships.

Diribe Welteji
Personal information
Birth nameDiribe Welteji Kejelcha
NationalityEthiopian
Born (2002-05-13) 13 May 2002
Sport
SportTrack and Field
Event(s)800 metres
1500 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800m: 1:57.02 (Eugene, 2022) 1500m: 3:53.93 (Eugene, 2023)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Ethiopia
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2023 Budapest1500 m
World Road Running Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 Riga1 mile
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 Tampere800 m
Silver medal – second place2021 Nairobi1500 m
African U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2019 Abidjan1500 m

At age 16, Welteji won the 800 m at the 2018 World U20 Championships, breaking the championship record in the process. She took silver for the 1500 metres at the 2021 World U20 Championships.

Career

A 16-year-old Diribe Welteji won the gold medal for the 800 m event at the 2018 World Under-20 Championships in Tampere, where she also competed in the women's 4 × 400 m relay without reaching the final, but achieving an Ethiopian junior record.[1]

In 2019, she won a gold in the 1500 metres at the African U20 Championships, finished sixth in the 800 m event at the African Games in Rabat, and was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 800 m event at the Doha World Championships.[1]

The 19-year-old competed without success in the women's 1500 m at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, but the same month took silver in this event at the World U20 Championships held in Nairobi.[2][1]

Welteji placed fourth in the 800 m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July with a time of 1:57.02.[3] In August, she won her first Diamond League meeting with a 1500 m victory, beating her esteemed compatriot Gudaf Tsegay at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzów, Poland. Welteji improved her personal best by more than two seconds and set a meet record with 3:56.91.[4]

On October 1, 2023, Welteji broke the 1 mile women's road record by running 4:20.98 in Riga at the World Athletics Road Running Championships.[5]

Achievements

International competitions
Representing  Ethiopia
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
2018 World U20 Championships Tampere, Finland 1st 800 m 1:59.74 WU20L CR
13th (h) 4x400 m relay 3:39.29 NU20R
2019 African U20 Championships Abidjan, Ivory Coast 1st 1500 m 4:11.59
African Games Rabat, Morocco 6th 800 m 2:04.20
World Championships Doha, Qatar 18th (sf) 800 m 2:02.69
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 35th (h) 1500 m 4:10.25
World U20 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 2nd 1500 m 4:16.39
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 4th 800 m 1:57.02 PB
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 2nd 1500 m 3:55.69

Circuit wins

Personal bests

References
  1. "Diribe WELTEJI – Athlete profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  2. "Athletics WELTEJI Diribe". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  3. Kelsall, Christopher (2022-07-29). "Did Athing Mu impede Keely Hodgkinson during the 800m final at World Athletics Championships?". Athletics Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  4. Chris Broadbent (6 August 2022). "Fraser-Pryce flies to world-leading 10.66 in Silesia". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  5. "Diribe Welteji Sets A New World Record In The Women's Road Mile In A Stunning Upset In Riga". 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
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