Genzebe Dibaba: An Ethiopian star on the horizon

Genzebe, younger sister of Tirunesh Dibaba, has caught the eye with two world records.

In the world of track and field, the name Dibaba evokes awe and admiration in equal measure. It is a name made famous by the exploits of one lady, whose first name has almost always spelt gold in the long distance lane. From a baby-faced destroyer of opposition to a devastating gale force who won as she pleased, Tirunesh Dibaba has kept Ethiopia’s flag flying on the world stage for more than a decade.

As she eyes longer distances, taking baby steps in the marathon world, another Dibaba is emerging to take over but not in the 10,000 or 5000 metres where Tirunesh made her name. Genzebe Dibaba, the younger sister of Tirunesh, is more comfortable at middle distances, and is a storm waiting to sweep over 1500 and 3000 metres.

Genzebe is no stranger to success in athletics. She has tasted it from her junior days in the cross country world. Two years ago, she took a step further with a gold medal in 1500 metres at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. But that success hasn’t really translated into victories on the big stages in outdoor competitions. As another World Indoor Championships come calling, Genzebe has served notice of her immense potential again, giving indications that the coming season might well see her make the transition to the outdoor competitions with a measure of success. Read more