Tsegai Tewelde (born 8 December 1989) is an Eritrean-born British

distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

, who competed in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

Personal life

Tewelde was born in Eritrea on 8 December 1989. At the age of eight, he was injured in a

land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

explosion that killed a friend of his, leaving him with a scar on his forehead after he was hit by shrapnel. In 2008, he and six other members of the Eritrean team sought

political asylum The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another enti ...

in the United Kingdom following the

World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. The athletes feared they would be tortured or face military service for failing to finish higher in the event. He was granted a British passport in the autumn of 2015.

Athletics

Tewelde competed at the

2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Centre in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. ...

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 Athletic ...

, finishing fifth in a time of 3 minutes 42.10 seconds and setting a national junior record. In 2007 he placed 17th in the junior's race at the World Cross Country Championships. At the 2008 World Championships he finished 19th in the junior's race in a time of 23 minutes and 48 seconds. Following this race he applied for asylum in the UK. He later joined Shettleston Harriers athletics club, he return home after becoming British and trained hard for his london marathon In 2015 he finished

Great Scottish Run The Great Scottish Run is a series of mass-participation road running events, held annually in the streets of Glasgow, Scotland in October. The event began as a full marathon in 1979, but later changed to a weekend of shorter events. The weekend ...

in a time of 1 hour 3 minutes and 34 seconds, taking fourth place overall and the silver medal for Scottish athletes. At the

2016 London Marathon The 2016 London Marathon was the 36th running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 24 April. The men's elite race was won by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and the women's race was won by Kenyan Jemima Sumgong. Th ...

, competing over the distance for the first time, Tewelde finished twelfth overall, and was the second British-qualified athlete to finish, in a time of 2 hours 12 minutes and 57 seconds. This time was inside the qualifying time of 2 hours 14 minutes needed to earn him a place in the Great Britain team for the

to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He did not finish (DNF) in the men's marathon, while fellow British athletes, brothers

Callum Callum is a Scottish Gaelic name that commemorates the Latin name Columba, meaning 'dove'. Callum was popular among early Christians because the dove was a symbol of purity, peace and the Holy Spirit. St. Columba was one of the most influential of ...

and Derek Hawkins finished 9th and 114th respectively.

Personal Bests

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tewelde, Tsegai Living people 1989 births British male long-distance runners Eritrean male long-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Eritrean emigrants to Scotland Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Olympic athletes of Great Britain