Haile Gebrselassie, 1973–, Ethiopian track athlete. Adept at both indoor and outdoor distance events as well as long-distance cross-country and marathon running, Haile won major races in distances ranging from the 1,500 m to the marathon. His first important win was the world championship in the 10,000-m race in 1993; he won the event again in 1995. He also won the gold medal in the 10,000-m race at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic games. After failing to medal at the 2004 Olympics, he specialized in the marathon, winning nine such races and setting world records in 2007 and 2008. During his long career Haile set more than 20 records.
See J. Denison, The Greatest (2004); B. Greenspan, dir., Endurance (film, 1998).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports: Biographies
