At a glance; Our Star Athletes
Nebiat Habtemariam
One of the three Athletes to represent Eritrea for the first time in the summer Olympic Games, Nebiat entered the world of athletics at a very young age. She set out, against the will of her parents, to achieve her dream. She started with school competitions and went on to achieve remarkable results at national level. Since then, she has come a long way, becoming an Olympian athlete and running for nearly two decades until she retired in 2017. Following Eritrea’s membership in the World athletics (then i.a.a.f) in 1997, Nebiat had her debut in international races in Greece. Since then, she has taken part in Sydney Olympic(2000), Athens Olympic(2004), Beijing Olympic(2008) and Rio Olympic(2016), 8 world cross country championships, All African Games as well as various world class competitions across Africa, Europe and the other continents. She is the proud owner of over 20 cups and other prestigious awards won during her two decade long career in athletics. Nebiat is a proud mother of three and still devoted even after her retirement to the profession she adores. She is an exemplary role model and athlete for the younger generation female athletes to emulate. She continues to contribute and share her experience in her current position as an executive member of the Eritrean National Athletics Federation.
ZeresenayTadesse
Whenever we talk about athletics in Eritrea, there is one name that immediately come mind, one that everyone, knows and admires; ZeresenayTadesse. With his first debut into international athletics circuit in Dublin (Ireland) in 2002 iaaf world cross country championships, Zeresenay emerged as a force to reckoned with in athletics track. He achieved the pinnacle of success at the 2004 Athens summer Olympics, when he won Bronze medal in the 10,000 meters race making him the first Eritrean Olympic medallist. Zeresenay tadesse secured a position as one of the world’s most dominant Half Marathone runner by winning four consecutive titles from 2006 to 2009 in Debrecen (Hungary), Udine (Italy), Rio de Janairo(Brasil) and Birmingham (Uk) respectively. He also won a world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2010, where he broke the time previously held by a Kenyan athlete by a minute. Zeresenay also excelled in long distance races. Zeresenay won his first gold medal in the 2007 World cross country championships held in Mombasa (Kenya), overcoming fellow athletes (including the world class runner Ethiopian athlete kenenisa Bekele) and unfavourable hot and humid weather conditions. He has also articipated in four consecutive Olympic Games (2004-2016). Tadesse was nominated for the IAAF world Male athlete of the year Award in 2010 but narrowly lost to Kenyan 800 meters athlete David Rudisha. After the 2016 Rio Olympics Zeresenay has shifted from track races to Marathon races in which he has the potential to shine until his retirement.