Kalkidan Gezahegne

Gezahegne was born in Addis Ababa. She won the silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 2008 World Junior Championships and won another junior silver at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, finishing behind Caster Semenya.[1] Moving up to the senior level, Kalkidan finished ninth in the 1500 m race at the 2009 World Championships and fifth in the 3000 metres at the 2009 World Athletics Final.[2]

Competing at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, she had a startling comeback to qualify for the final. In the middle of her heat, she collided with Yevgeniya Zolotova and fell onto the track. She got back up to continue the race, however, and not only caught up with her competitors, but won the race with the fastest time of any runner that day.[3] In the final she outdid compatriot and reigning champion Gelete Burka to win the gold medal. This made the 18-year-old the youngest ever winner of an event at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, beating the previous record set by Gabriela Szabo 15 years earlier.[4] She missed the outdoor season that year due to injury.[5]

Her personal best times are 4:02.98 minutes in the 1500 metres, achieved in July 2009 in Athens; 4:37.76 minutes in the mile run, achieved in September 2009 in Rieti; and 8:38.61 minutes in the 3000 metres, achieved in September 2009 in Thessaloniki.[2]