#AfricaRioTriumph: Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana captures world’s affection by breaking 23-year record
Ethiopia is known to produce great long distance runners, and is home to some of the greatest long distance athletes.
In the just concluded Summer Olympic Games that were hosted by the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, Ethiopian athletes, like always, were expected to triumph.
One athlete that stood out from the Ethiopian team was record breaker Almaz Ayana.
The 24-year-old set a new world record in the women’s 10,000 meter race, clocking a winning time of 29 minutes and 17.45 seconds.
With her win, she became the first African to win gold in the Rio Games.
Ayana beat the previous record by a remarkable 14.46 seconds, a record that had remained in place for the last 23 years.
The Ethiopian also competed in the women’s 5,000m race, finishing in third place to ensure she took two medals home.
