Mohammed Aman delivers first 800m medal for Ethiopia with gold at World Athletics Championship

Mohammed Aman Geleto is an Ethiopian middle distance runner. Born in Asella, He is the winner of the 800-meter final at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow.

Mohammed Aman was out muscled and jostled, but belied his diminutive size to produce a devastating sprint and claim a first-ever medal of any colour for Ethiopia in the world 800m by winning gold on Tuesday.

The two-lap event had sadly been shorn of the sublime talents of the injured David Rudisha, the Kenyan who broke the world record in winning the Olympic title last year.

But, in his absence, Aman, the 19-year-old world indoor champion who has twice got the better of Rudisha, stepped into the void with some style.

"I'm the first Ethiopian to win a 800m gold medal!" Aman said. "This gold medal is a big thing for me and my country.

 

"It was not easy, a world championships final is such a hard race. All the athletes in the race were very strong and it's a double pleasure to be first in such company."


Aman added: "I was confident because I have speed on the last 100 metres and also nervous because it is the worlds and one has to be careful and smart.


"I didn't want to be boxed in like the semi-final so I just stayed patient when Symmonds and Solomon kicked off."

The race was bunched for all but the final 200 metres, fancied American Duane Solomon bossing his way into the front as Frenchman Pierre-Ambroise Bosse almost sideswiped Aman coming out of the first corner run in lanes.

History of Mohammed Aman Geleto 

Mohammed Aman Geleto  is an Ethiopian middle distance runner.  He born on 10 January 1994.

Born in Asella, He is the winner of the 800-meter final at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow. he also won consecutive 800 m titles at the 2009 and 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships. Aman was the inaugural winner of the 1000 metres race at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore. He won a silver medal in the 800 m at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics, finishing behind Leonard Kirwa Kosencha who set a world youth best.  He ran an Ethiopian record to win his semi-final heat at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, but finished last in the event final.

In September he improved his Ethiopian record to 1:43.37 minutes (also a world youth best) behind David Rudisha at the Rieti Meeting, then ended Rudisha's 34-meet winning streak at the Notturna di Milano, beating him by seven hundredths of a second in a time of 1:43.50 minutes.

He won 800 m final in the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul as the youngest gold medalist athlete.