Tsegai Tewelde

Tsegai Tewelde (born 8 December 1989)[1] is an Eritrean-born British distance runner, who competed in the marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Personal life

Tewelde was born in Eritrea on 8 December 1989. At the age of eight, he was injured in a land mine explosion that killed a friend of his, leaving him with a scar on his forehead after he was hit by shrapnel.[2][3]

In 2008, he and six other members of the Eritrean team sought political asylum in the United Kingdom following the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh.[2] The athletes feared they would be tortured or face military service for failing to finish higher in the event.[4] He was granted a British passport in the autumn of 2015.[5]

Athletics

Tewelde competed at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics in the 1500 metres, finishing fifth in a time of 3 minutes 42.10 seconds and setting a national junior record.[1][6] In 2007 he placed 17th in the junior's race at the World Cross Country Championships.[7]

At the 2008 World Championships he finished 19th in the junior's race in a time of 23 minutes and 48 seconds.[7] Following this race he applied for asylum in the UK.[6] He later joined Shettleston Harriers athletics club, he return home after becoming British and trained hard for his london marathon [6]

In 2015 he finished Great Scottish Run in a time of 1 hour 3 minutes and 34 seconds, taking fourth place overall and the silver medal for Scottish athletes.[8]

At the 2016 London Marathon, 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 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[9][10] He did not finish (DNF) in the men's marathon, while fellow British athletes, brothers Callum and Derek Hawkins finished 9th and 114th respectively.[2]

Personal Bests
Distance Mark Date Location
1,500 metres3:42.102006Beijing
5,000 metres14:23.632009Dunfermline
10K Run29:242009Sunderland
Half Marathon1:03:182017Glasgow
Marathon2:12:232016London
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gollark: It's a neural network assembled using training data extracted from palaiologos' palaiological online presences and partial brain scans from orbital mind control lasers.

References
  1. "Athlete Profile Tsegai Tewelde". thepowerof10.info. British Athletics. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  2. Lewis, Jane (26 April 2016). "Rio 2016: Tsegai Tewelde living Olympic dream after London Marathon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  3. Gillon, Doug (18 May 2013). "The world-class talent Scotland left abandoned and ignored". The Herald. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  4. Gordon, Moira. "Scottish marathon runner Tsegai Tewelde escapes tragic past". The Scotsman. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  5. Gillon, Doug (26 April 2016). "Marathon hero: I risked my life to visit sick mother in Eritrea". The Herald. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  6. "Fearing for their lives, six Eritrean athletes absconded while in Scotland – and found a new home with a Glasgow running club". The Scotsman. 30 December 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  7. "Tsegai Tewelde Athlete Profile". IAAF. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  8. "Brilliant Callum now ready for marathon". Scottish Athletics. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  9. Ingle, Sean (24 April 2016). "London Marathon: Tsegai Tewelde and Callum Hawkins make British Olympic team". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  10. "London Marathon: Callum Hawkins and Tsegai Tewelde seal Rio places". BBC Sport. 24 April 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
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