Meseret Defar

Meseret Defar Tola is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, born on 19 November 1983, who competes chiefly over 3,000 metres and 5,000 metres. She won 5,000 metres gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics and bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and took world titles as well, with silver at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki and gold at the 2007 championships in Osaka. She broke the 5,000 metres world record in 2006 and again in 2007, holding it until 2008 when her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba bettered it. In 2007 in Brussels she became the only woman to run two miles in under nine minutes, with 8:58.58. She won four consecutive 3,000 metres golds at the IAAF World Indoor Championships from 2004 to 2010, held the indoor records for 3,000 metres, 5,000 metres and two miles, and is a two-time All-Africa Games champion. She took a break in 2014 to start a family.