Samuel Tefera (born 23 October 1999) is an Ethiopian

middle distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 15 ...

who specialises in the

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athle ...

. At the age of 18, he became the 2018 World indoor champion, and defended his title at the 2022 World Indoor Championships, setting the championship record in the process. Tefera is the current African record holder in the indoor event. He held 1500m world indoor record for three years, with his mark currently being the second-fastest on the world indoor all-time list.

Career

Samuel Tefera made her first major appearance in 2017, when the then-17-year-old represented Ethiopia in the

at the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

in London, not advancing from the heats. In March 2018, he won the gold medal in the event at the World Indoor Championships held in Birmingham. He achieved 3:58.19 to beat

Marcin Lewandowski Marcin Przemysław Lewandowski (Polish pronunciation: ; born 13 June 1987) is a Polish professional soldier and middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres and 1500 metres. Personal life Lewandowski was born in Szczecin on 13 June ...

(3:58.39) and

Abdalaati Iguider Reda Abdalaati Iguider ( ar, عبد العاطي إيكدير; born 25 March 1987) is a Moroccan runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. Over 1500 metres, he is the bronze medalist from the London Olympic Games and the 2012 World Indoor Champ ...

(3:58.43). In February 2019, still 19, Tefera set a world indoor record in his specialty distance at the

Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix The Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix, formerly known as Aviva Indoor Grand Prix, is an annual indoor track and field competition which is held in mid-February at the Arena Birmingham in Birmingham, England. It is one of a handful of events to hold I ...

with a time of three minutes 31.04 seconds. He broke by 0.14 s a 22-year-old mark of Moroccan

Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj ( ar, هشام الݣروج, Hishām l-Garrūj; ber, ⵀⵉⵛⴰⵎ ⴻⵍ ⴳⴻⵔⵔⵓⵊ, Hisham El Gerruj; born 14 September 1974) is a retired Moroccan middle-distance runner. El Guerrouj is the current world record h ...

. Tefera's record was bettered in 2022 by

Jakob Ingebrigtsen Jakob Ingebrigtsen (born 19 September 2000) is a Norwegian Middle-distance running, middle- and Long-distance running, long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympic ...

. After suffering an injury he did not finish his semifinal run at the 2019 World Championships in

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...

. Timothy Cheruiyot won the title. Tefera represented Ethiopia at the delayed

2020 Tokyo Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the List of Olympic Games h ...

, where he had an injury problem again and was eliminated in the heats of the men's 1500 metres. Ingebrigtsen became the event winner. At the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Tefera defended his title in a time of 3m 32.77s, beating Ingebrigtsen who ran 3:33.02, and setting the championship record in the process. Abel Kipsang finished third in 3:33.36.

Competition record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tefera, Samuel Living people 1999 births Ethiopian male middle-distance runners World record holders in athletics (track and field) World Athletics Indoor Championships winners Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of Ethiopia 20th-century Ethiopian people 21st-century Ethiopian people