A sweep in athletics is when one team wins all available medals in a single event in a sporting event. At the highest level, that would be when one nation wins all the medals in an athletics event at the
World Championships in Athletics. In
athletics the maximum number of entrants from a single country in most events is three, allowing in theory for athletes from the same country to finish in all three top places.
Men
Carl Lewis has been a part of four American sweeps. Kenya has swept the
3000 metres steeplechase
The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, a ...
three times, with
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 W ...
and
Brimin Kipruto
Brimin Kipruto (born 31 July 1985) is a Kenyan professional middle distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was born in Korkitony, Keiyo District. He holds a personal best of 7:53.64 minutes which is the ...
a part of two of them.
Women
Sweeps have only occurred eleven times in women's events. The 10,000 metres is the only event to have had three occurrences, in 2001, 2005 and 2011. Ethiopia had most sweeps, at four.
Tirunesh Dibaba and her sister
Ejegayehu Dibaba
Ejegayehu Dibaba Keneni ( om, Ijigaayoo Dibaabaa; Amharic: እጅጋዬሁ ዲባባ); born 21 March 1982, in Bekoji) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Ejegayehu ear ...
were both a part of two of those sweeps, another sister
Genzebe Dibaba and cousin
Derartu Tulu
Derartu Tulu NL COL ( om, Daraartuu Tulluu, Amharic: ደራርቱ ቱሉ; born 21 March 1972) is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner
Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at ...
gave the family participation in all four Ethiopian sweeps. Tirunesh's husband,
Sileshi Sihine
Sileshi Sihine ( Amharic: ስለሺ ስህኔ; born January 29, 1983 in Sheno) is a retired Ethiopian long-distance runner.
Sileshi won silver medals in the 10,000 metres at both the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well ...
, was a part of Ethiopia's men's sweep.
See also
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List of medal sweeps in Olympic athletics
A podium sweep is when one team wins all available medals in a single event in a sporting event. At the highest level, that would be when one nation wins all the medals in the Summer Olympics Athletics. Many Olympic sports or events do not all ...
Footnotes
References
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{{World Championships in Athletics events
World Championships medal sweeps
World Athletics Championships