Yasemin Can (born Vivian Jemutai on 11 December 1996) is a Kenyan female long-distance runner representing Turkey who specialises in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. She is the reigning 10,000 m European champion. Can is a six-time European Championship medalist, including three gold medals and the 5000 m/10,000 m double in 2016, and a four-time European Cross Country champion.
She competed for Kenya before 13 March 2016, when she officially became eligible to represent Turkey at international competitions. Can is the Turkish record holder for the half marathon, and the Turkish indoor record holder for the 3000 m and 5000 m. She is a two-time Turkish champion.
Career Can earned a quota spot for the women's 5000 m event in the 2016 Rio Olympics running 15:08.46 at the Turkish Indoor Championships in Istanbul. She secured another quota spot for the 10,000 m event running 31:30.58 at the Turkish Championships in Mersin. She set a new European under-23 record with her time.
She took part at the Golden Gala leg of 2016 IAAF Diamond League in Rome, Italy, and placing sixth in the 5000 m in a time of 14:37.61.
Can won the gold medal in the women's 10,000 m at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Her time of 31:12.86 improved her own European U23 record by 18 seconds. She won her second gold medal in the 5000 m at the same championship.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was a finalist in the fastest 10,000 m race in the history, placing seventh with a personal best time of 30:26.41.
On 5 March 2017, Can won a silver medal in the 3000 m at the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade behind Laura Muir.
Can won gold medals in the women's 10,000 m and 5000 m at the 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
In 2020, she competed in the women's half marathon at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships held in Gdynia, Poland.
On 15 August 2022, Can won the gold medal and regained her European 10,000 m title at Munich 2022, finishing in a time of 30:32.57. She placed second in the 5000 m behind Konstanze Klosterhalfen and ahead of Eilish McColgan three days later.
Achievements International competitions 2015UniversiadeGwangju, South Korea11thHalf marathon1:20:183rdTeam3:55:372016European ChampionshipsAmsterdam, Netherlands1st5000 m15:18.151st10,000 m31:12.86Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil6th5000 m14:56.967th10,000 m30:26.41European Cross Country ChampionshipsChia, Italy1stSenior race24:461stSenior team35 pts2017European Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, Serbia2nd3000 m 8:43.46Islamic Solidarity GamesBaku, Azerbaijan2nd5000 m14:53.501st10,000 m31:18.20European U23 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland1st5000 m15:01.671st10,000 m31:39.80CRWorld ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom16th (h)5000 m15:08.2011th10,000 m31:35.48European Cross Country ChampionshipsŠamorín, Slovakia1stSenior race26:483rdSenior team54 pts2018European ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany3rd5000 m14:57.634th10,000 m32:34.34European Cross Country ChampionshipsTilburg, Netherlands1stSenior race26:057thSenior team88 pts2019European Cross Country ChampionshipsLisbon, Portugal1stSenior race26:524thSenior team53 pts2020World Half Marathon ChampionshipsGdynia, Poland7thHalf marathon1:06:20NR6thTeam3:31:392021Olympic GamesTokyo, Japan8th5000 m14:46.4911th10,000 m31:10.05SBEuropean Cross Country ChampionshipsDublin, Ireland14thSenior race28:382022European 10,000 m CupPacé, France1st10,000 m31:20.18EL2ndTeam1:37:14.68Mediterranean GamesOran, Algeria1st5000 m15:23.47Islamic Solidarity GamesKonya, Turkey1st5000 m16:23.1h1st10,000 m32:34.33European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany2nd5000 m14:56.911st10,000 m30:32.57SBEuropean Cross Country ChampionshipsTurin, Italy–Senior race2023European Indoor ChampionshipsIstanbul, Turkey12th (h)3000 m9:01.3412025European Running ChampionshipsLeuven, Belgium39th10 km33:07 1Did not finish in the final
Personal bests 3000 metres indoor – 8:43.46 (Belgrade 2017) 5000 metres – 14:36.82 (Rome 2017) 5000 metres indoor – 15:08.46 (Istanbul 2016) 10,000 metres – 30:26.41 (Rio de Janeiro 2016) Road 5 km – 15:23 (Herzogenaurach 2021) 10 km – 32:01 (Chon Buri 2020) Half marathon – 1:06:20 (Gdynia 2020)
National titles Turkish Athletics Championships 10,000 metres: 2016 Turkish Indoor Athletics Championships 5000 metres: 2016
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