Ethiopia competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's twelfth appearance at the Olympics, having missed three occasions because of the African, Soviet, and North Korean boycott. The Ethiopian Olympic Committee sent a total of 35 athletes to the Games, 18 men and 17 women, to compete only in athletics, specifically in the middle and long-distance running events, and swimming, the nation's Olympic debut.

The Ethiopian team featured the defending Olympic champions, long-distance runners Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba. Among these champions, Dibaba managed to defend her Olympic title, in the women's 10,000 metres event. Another middle-distance runner Meseret Defar became the second Ethiopian female athlete to regain her title in the women's 5,000 metres event, ahead of her compatriot and defending champion Dibaba, who won only the bronze medal. Tiki Gelana became the second female Ethiopian to win the women's marathon after 16 years. Swimmer Yanet Seyoum was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

Ethiopia left London with a total of 7 medals (3 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze), sharing the same records with Beijing and Athens, respectively. One more medal was redistributed after the games ended due to doping cases. All gold medals were received only by women for the first time in its history.

Medalists

Medal Name Sport Event Date Tirunesh Dibaba Athletics Women's 10,000 m Tiki Gelana Athletics Women's marathon Meseret Defar Athletics Women's 5000 m Sofia Assefa Athletics Women's 3000 m steeplechase Dejen Gebremeskel Athletics Men's 5000 m Abeba Aregawi Athletics Women's 1500 m Tariku Bekele Athletics Men's 10,000 m Tirunesh Dibaba Athletics Women's 5000 m

Athletics

Ethiopia selected a total of 33 athletes in the track and field after having achieved qualifying standards in their respective events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard): Most of them were past Olympic medalists, All-African Games medalists, and winners from last year's world championships. Three of them were defending titleholders including middle-distance runners Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba, and Meseret Defar.

Ethiopia has won a total of 7 medals, not only in the track and field, but also in the nation's medal standings. Among the defending champions, Dibaba managed to defend her Olympic title only in the women's 10,000 m. Her compatriot, Meseret Defar, however, regained her Olympic title after eight years in Athens, finishing ahead of Dibaba, who was also the defending champion in Beijing. In the men's events, two-time Olympic champion, Kenenisa Bekele, however, did not win an Olympic medal for the first time, when his brother Tariku Bekele edged him out of the podium to claim the bronze medal.

In the women's marathon, Tiki Gelana became the first Ethiopian to win the gold medal since 1996, despite falling behind the other runners during the midway of the race.London 2012: Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana wins Olympic marathon despite fall

Men AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankAyele AbsheroMarathoncolspan=4 Yenew Alamirew5000 m13:15.392 Qcolspan=2 13:49.6812Mohammed Aman800 m1:47.341 Q1:44.341 Q1:43.206Kenenisa Bekele10000 mcolspan=4 27:32.444Tariku Bekelecolspan=4 27:31.43Bereket Desta400 m47.407Did not advanceGetu FelekeMarathoncolspan=4 Roba Gari3000 m steeplechase8:20.681 Qcolspan=2 8:20.004Gebregziabher Gebremariam10000 mcolspan=4 27:36.348Mekonnen Gebremedhin1500 m3:36.562 Q3:42.904 Q3:35.446Dejen Gebremeskel5000 m13:15.151 Qcolspan=2 13:41.98Hagos Gebrhiwet13:26.165 Qcolspan=2 13:49.5911Birhan Getahun3000 m steeplechasecolspan=2 Did not advanceNahom Mesfin8:18.165 qcolspan=2 8:35.1212Dino SeferMarathoncolspan=4 Dawit Wolde1500 m3:41.8110Did not advanceAman Wote1500 m3:41.678Did not advance

Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRank Abeba Aregawi1500 m4:04.551 Q4:01.031 Q4:11.03Meskerem Assefa4:15.529Did not advanceSofia Assefa3000 m steeplechase9:25.421 Qcolspan=2 9:09.84Hiwot Ayalew9:24.011 Qcolspan=2 9:12.985Gelete Burka5000 m15:01.441 Qcolspan=2 15:10.665Meseret Defar14:58.702 Qcolspan=2 15:04.25Genzebe Dibaba1500 m4:11.1510Did not advanceMare DibabaMarathoncolspan=4 2:28:4823Tirunesh Dibaba5000 m14:58.481 Qcolspan=2 15:05.1510000 mcolspan=4 30:20.75 Etenesh Diro3000 m steeplechase9:25.312 Qcolspan=2 9:19.896Tiki GelanaMarathoncolspan=4 2:23:07Werknesh Kidane10000 mcolspan=4 30:39.384Fantu Magiso800 mDid not advanceAselefech MergiaMarathoncolspan=4 2:32:0342Belaynesh Oljira10000 mcolspan=4 30:45.565

Key Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only Q = Qualified for the next round q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target NR = National record N/A = Round not applicable for the event Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Swimming

Ethiopia was given two "Universality places" from the FINA. Mulualem Girma Teshale finished farther behind the other swimmers, only in fifty-seventh place, failing him to advance into the semifinals. Yanet Seyoum, the first female Ethiopian swimmer Ethiopian Olympic Athletes Feted finished sixty-fifth out of 73 swimmers, and also did not advance into the semifinals.

Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankMulualem Girma Teshale50 m freestyle28.9957Did not advance

Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankYanet Seyoum50 m freestyle32.4165 did not advance

References

External links