| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women'sAthletics | ||
| Representing | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| 2000 Sydney | 10,000 m | |
| 1996 Atlanta | 10,000 m | |
| 2000 Sydney | 5000 m | |
| World Championships | ||
| 1999 Seville | 10,000 m | |
| 2001 Edmonton | 10,000 m | |
Getenesh "Gete" Wami Degife (Amharic: ጌጤነሽ 'ጌጤ' ዋሚ ደግፌ born January 28th 1974 inDebre Berhan)[1] is an Ethiopian formerlong-distance runner who competed incross country,track, androad events.
Her brother,Mulugeta Wami, is also a professional marathon runner.[2]
Gete won thegold medal at the1999 World Championships inSeville, with a time of 30:24.56, which was a newAfrican record andChampionships Record.[3] She also won the10,000 m gold medal at the1999 All-Africa Games that year. She is a two-time winner of theIAAF World Cross Country Championships, having taken the long race title in 1996 and then the short race title in 2001.
Gete won the 2006Berlin Marathon, finishing in front ofSalina Kosgei andMonika Drybulska on September 24.[4] She was expected to beat theworld record over 15 km during theZevenheuvelenloop in and aroundNijmegen on 19 November 2006, but failed. Gete finished in second position during the race, nine seconds behindMestewat Tufa, who finished in 47:22.
In 2007, Gete won the Berlin Marathon again. She competed in theNew York Marathon thirty-five days later and she finished 23 seconds behindPaula Radcliffe. Her second-place finish gave her theWorld Marathon Majors Series Title, earning herself the $500,000 jackpot.[5]
In August 2008, Gete dropped out of the2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon, after running in the lead pack for much of the race, as did her teammateBerhane Adere.
The last outing of her career came at the2009 London Marathon, where she came in ninth with a time of 2:26:54.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing | |||||
| 1992 | World Junior Championships | Seoul,South Korea | 2nd | 10,000 m | 32:41.57 |
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 18th | 10,000 m | 32:56.94 |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta,United States | 3rd | 10,000 m | 31:06.65 |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | — | 10,000 m | DNF |
| 1999 | World Championships | Sevilla,Spain | 1st | 10,000 m | 30:24.56 |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney,Australia | 3rd | 5000 m | 14:42.23 |
| 2nd | 10,000 m | 30:22.48 | |||
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 3rd | 10,000 m | 31:49.98 |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | — | Marathon | DNF |
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Amsterdam Marathon | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1st | Marathon |
| 2005 | San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon | San Diego, United States | 1st | Marathon |
| 2006 | Berlin Marathon | Berlin, Germany | 1st | Marathon |
| Zevenheuvelenloop | Nijmegen, Netherlands | 2nd | 15K | |
| 2007 | Berlin Marathon | Berlin, Germany | 1st | Marathon |
| New York City Marathon | New York City, United States | 2nd | Marathon | |
| World Marathon Majors | Series | 1st | Marathon |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's 5.000m Best Year Performance 2000 | Succeeded by |