Elvan Abeylegesse leading at the IAAF World Championships 2003 in Paris, France

Elvan Abeylegesse (also formerly: Hewan Abeye (Amharic) and Elvan Can (Turkish)) is an Ethiopian-born Turkish woman middle and long distance track and field athlete, running in the disciplines 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, but also 10000m, 2 miles and cross country, ranking world 7th. She is holding the world record at 5000m. Elvan Abeylegesse 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Elvan Abeylegesse 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Amharic (አማርኛ) is a Semitic language spoken in Northern Central Ethiopia, where it is the official language. ... Turkish (Türkçe or Türk dili) is a Turkic language, spoken natively by over 100 million speakers in Turkey, Cyprus, and worldwide. ... The middle distances are races where the runner tries to go as fast as his training has let him. ... Long-distance track event races requires runners to balance their energy. ... An athlete is a person possessing above average physical skills (strength, agility, and endurance) and thus seen suitable for physical activities, in particular, contests. ... (Redirected from 1500m) The middle distances are races where the runner tries to go as fast as his training has let him. ... The middle distances are races where the runner tries to go as fast as his training has let him. ... Long-distance track event races requires runners to balance their energy. ... US Armed Forces cross country meet Cross-country running is a sport in which teams of runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain before other teams. ...

She was born as Hewan Abeye on September 11, 1982 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised with her seven brothers and sisters. She began her career in running cross country. In 1999, Hewan started for the Ethiopian junior team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland and finished 9th. There, she was invited for a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. Came in Istanbul, she liked it there very much. "I didn't get enough support from my federation in Ethiopia," she said. "My track club in Turkey gave me all the support I needed. So I decided to move to Turkey. The support was much better in Istanbul. I thought it would be easier to reach my goals in Turkey.” To get Turkish citizenship, she married and became Elvan Can. Meanwhile, she is divorced again and called as Elvan Abeylegesse. September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... Addis Ababa (Amharic new flower) is the capital of Ethiopia. ... The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Ityopiya, Amharic ኢትዮጵያ) is a country situated in the Horn of Africa. ... The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics (known in the US as track and field). It was founded in 1912 at its first Congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation. ... This article is about the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. ... Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four parts of the United Kingdom. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Republic of Turkey is a country located in Southwest Asia with a small part of its territory (3%) in southeastern Europe. ... Citizenship is membership in a political community (originally a city but now a state), and carries with it rights to political participation; a person having such membership is a citizen. ...

“As a youngster, my heroes were Ethiopian runners. I was following the victories of Gete Wami particularly”, Elvan told. “I studied all their actions: how they slept, how they ate, how they trained, and how they competed.” Registered in the Enka Sports Club in Istanbul, she is coached by Ertan Hatipoglu, a Turkish-origin former triple jumper from Bulgaria. She has still a friendly relationship with the other Ethiopian runners, but there is a problem with her former federation. “The officials don’t allow me to train in Ethiopia any longer”, Elvan Abeylegesse says. “I train now at high altitudes in Turkey as I think that some of my former compatriots see me as a threat. They are uncomfortable with me training in Ethiopia. But I, of course, remain friends with the individual Ethiopian runners.” Luxuries seem to be part of her, but she is still emotionally attached to her home country. She is definitely not a hero in Ethiopian athletics. Her 'defection' has remained an anomaly in the eyes of many Ethiopian athletic fans. The triple jump is an athletics (track and field) event, previously also known as hop, step and jump, whose various names describe the actions a competitor takes. ... The Republic of Bulgaria is a republic in the southeast of Europe. ... A defector is generally a person who gives up allegiance to a certain country in exchange for allegiance to another. ...

Personal best time:

World records:

Achievements

1999

• March 27 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Belfast, Northern ıreland (6170m Jr) 9th (22:03)
• July 17 IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics, Bydgoszcz, Poland (3000m) 5th (9:08:29)
• August 6 15. IAAF European Junior Championships, Riga, Latvia (5000m) 2nd (16:06:40)

March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in Leap years). ... This article is about the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... Bydgoszcz (in Polish pronounce: [:bidgɔʃʧ], Latin: Bydgostia) is a city in northern Poland, on Brda and Vistula rivers, with a population of 369,151 (2004). ... The Republic of Poland, a democratic country with a population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... The Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), or Latvia (Latvian: Latvija), is a country in Northern Europe. ...

2000

• March 19 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Vilamoura, Portugal (3150m) 90th (14:30)
• May 21 Izmir, Turkey (3000m) 1st (9:08:07)
• October 17 IAAF World Junior Championships, Santiago de Chile, Chile (5000m) 6th (16:33:77)
• October 22 IAAF World Junior Championships, Santiago de Chile, Chile (3000m) 6th (9:28:0)

March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... Izmir (Turkish spelling İzmir, contraction of its former name Smyrna, Σμυρνη in Greek), the second-largest port (after İstanbul) and the third most populous city (2,409,000 in 2000) of Turkey is located on the Aegean Sea near the Gulf of Izmir. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... Satellite image of Santiago Santiago (full form Santiago de Chile) is the capital of Chile. ... The Republic of Chile is a country in South America occupying a long coastal strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... Satellite image of Santiago Santiago (full form Santiago de Chile) is the capital of Chile. ... The Republic of Chile is a country in South America occupying a long coastal strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. ...

2001

• March 24 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Oostende, The Netherlands (6170m Jr) 22nd (23:30)
• May 20 Clubs National Junior Athletics Champ 2nd Leg, Istanbul, Turkey (3000m) 1st (9:03:20)
• June 8 Istanbul, Turkey (3000m) 1st (8:41:49)
• July 27 European Youth Championships, Grosseto, Italy (3000m) 1st (8:53:42)
• July 28 Clubs National Athletics Championships, Istanbul, Turkey (1500m) 1st (4:11:31)
• July 20 European Junior Championships in Athletics, Grosseto, Italy (5000m Jr) 1st (15:21:12)
• August 9 8th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Edmonton, Canada (heats) (5000m) 8th (15:22:89)
• September 12 Mediterranean Games, Tunis, Tunisia (10000m) 3rd (32:29:20) PB
• December 9 8th European Cross Country Championships, Thun, Switzerland (3150m Jr) 1st (10:35)

March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). ... Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, French: Ostende) is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... Grosseto is a town and comune in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Grosseto province, 42°46N 11°07E, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, at 10 m (33 ft) above sea-level, with 71,400 inhabitants as of the 2003 census. ... The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Industry Integrity Progress City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Location. ... Canada is a sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... The Mediterranean Games are a multi-sport games held every four years for nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea. ... Tunis is the capital of Tunisia. ... The Tunisian Republic (الجمهرية التونسية), or Tunisia, is a Muslim Arab country situated on the North African Mediterranean coast. ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Thun (French Thoune) is a town in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 41,540 inhabitants (2003). ... The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in Europe, with neighbours Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. ...

2002

• May 11 Izmir, Turkey (1500m) 1st (4:11:00)
• August 11 18th European Championships in Athletics, Munich, Germany (5000m) 7th (15:24:41)
• August 30 Memorial van Damme, Brussels, Belgium (Golden League) (3000m) 6th (8:31:94) PB
• September 14 18th IAAF Grand Prix Final, Paris, France (3000m) 8th (9:01:50)
• December 8 9th European Cross Country Championships, Medulin, Croatia (6170m) 3rd (20:19)

May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The European Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München pronunciation) is the state capital of the German Bundesland of Bavaria. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... The Memorial van Damme is an annual track and field event at the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels, Belgium that takes place end of August. ... Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels ( Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the de facto capital of the European Union, as two of its three main institutions have their headquarters... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... The IAAF Golden League is an annual series of athletics meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years). ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Republic of Croatia is a crescent-shaped country in Europe bordering the Mediterranean, Central Europe and the Balkans. ...

2003

• May 11 Izmir, Turkey (3000m) 1st (8:42:29)
• May 25 Beograd, Serbia (1500m) 1st (4:07:25)
• June 2 Grand Prix, Hengelo, The Netherlands (5000m) 1st (15:06:75)
• June 7 Istanbul, Turkey (2000m) 1st (5::33:83) PB
• August 30 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics,Paris Saint-Denis, France (5000m) 5th (14:53:56)
• September 13 1st IAAF World Athletics Final, Monaco (5000m) 1st (14:56:25)

May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... For other uses, see Belgrade (disambiguation). ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... This article is about the city in Overijssel, Netherlands. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... The 1st IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on September 13, and September 14, 2003. ... The Principality of Monaco or Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco or Monaco; Monegasque: Munegu or Principatu de Munegu) is a city state and the second-smallest country in the world, wedged in between the Mediterranean Sea and France along the French Riviera or Côte dAzur (The Blue Coast). ...

2004

• May 14 Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix, Doha, Qatar (3000m) 1st (8:35:83)
• May 30 European Champion Clubs Cup for Group A, Moscow, Russia (1500m) 1st (3:58:28) PB
• June 11 Bergen Bislett Games (Golden League), Bergen, Norway (5000m) 1st (14:24:68) WR PB
• June 19 European Cup 1st League, Istanbul, Turkey (3000m) 1st (8:49:14)
• August 23 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece (5000m) 12th (15:12:64)
• August 28 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece (1500m) 8th (4:00:67)
• September 18 IAAF World Athletics Final, Monaco (5000m) 1st (14:59:19)

WR World record, NR National record, PB Personal best May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... Doha (Arabic: الدوحة;, Ad-Dawhah) (population 370,000) is the capital of Qatar, located on the Persian Gulf. ... The State of Qatar (قطر) is an emirate in the Middle East. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... Saint Basils Cathedral Moscow  listen? ( Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronunciation: Moskva), capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 1097. ... The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... Logo for the games when held in Bergen The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway that takes place in June, just in the middle of the summer. ... You may be looking for: Bergen, Norway Bergen, Belgium, see Mons Bergen, Hessen (Germany) Bergen, Lower Saxony (Germany) Bergen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany) Bergen, Limburg (Netherlands) Bergen, North Holland (Netherlands) (comprising Bergen aan Zee) Bergen (town), New York (United States) Bergen (village), New York (United States) Bergen, Wisconsin (United States... Norway - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... August 23 is the 235th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (236th in leap years), with 130 days remaining. ... The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, commonly known as the 2004 Summer Olympics were the 28th Summer Olympic Games. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Greece, officaly called the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... The IAAF World Athletics Final was inaugrated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final. ... The Principality of Monaco or Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco or Monaco; Monegasque: Munegu or Principatu de Munegu) is a city state and the second-smallest country in the world, wedged in between the Mediterranean Sea and France along the French Riviera or Côte dAzur (The Blue Coast). ...

Performance progression

Career highlights

Elvan’s career in the international arena began at the age of 18 in Grosseto, Italy in 2001 by winning the European 3000m and 5000m titles, setting a national record for Turkey, a country not well known in long distance running. Since then she was improving her time in all distances that she runs, not particularly looking back and progressing. She became a world leader with 8:31:94 at 3000m in Brussels, Belgium already in 2002 and with 3:58.38 at 1500m in Moscow, Russia in 2004.

At the Evergood Bergen Bislett Games in Norway on June 11, 2004, the sixth meeting of TDK Golden League, Elvan Abeylegesse took apart the women’s 5000m World record, which had belonged to the little known Chinese Jiang Bo since 1997 (14:28.09), improving the mark by over three seconds to 14:24.68. With the strain of her effort visibly apparent, the thunderous roar of the capacity crowd of 15,000 pushed her to this record while she was competing against Ethiopian running giants. She became the first Turkish athlete ever to set a world record. "I worked very hard, day and night," Abeylegesse said, speaking through an interpreter. "My target since the first day I started running has been to break world records and become Olympic champion."

By breaking the 5000m World record, Elvan Abeylegesse has achieved also a historic performance in running, because she is now faster than a running legend. It was almost exactly 80 years ago when famous Paavo Nurmi had run 14:28,2 for a world record. Elvan Abeylegesse now is the first woman to have run faster than the Fin. Born in Turku, Paavo Nurmi (June 13, 1897 - October 2, 1973) was a Finnish runner. ... A fin is a surface used to produce thrust or to steer while traveling in water, air, or other fluid media. ...

She has been a scholarship holder with the Olympic Solidarity program since August 2002. Note: The term scholarship can mean either the methods employed by scholars (see scholarly method) or an award of access to an institution and/or money for an individual for the purposes of furthering their education. ...

Acknowledgement

Şarık Tara, the honorary president of her club, said, "I am proud of our daughter Elvan. Her achievement is an even greater success than our men's national soccer team finishing third in the World Cup." This statement may well be the clearest expression of the new and modern concept of Turkishness. Her surname is still Abeylegesse. She is not fluent in Turkish and not a Muslim, but her name is inscribed in history as 'the first Turkish athlete to hold a world record.' When she wrapped the Turkish flag around herself with enthusiasm at the finishing line in Bergen, she was reflecting the true pride she felt for her achievement in the name of Turkey. Turkishness could well be just one of Elvan's identities, but there is not the slightest doubt about it. A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The Flag of Turkey is called Ay Yıldız in Turkish. ...

The day she broke the world record rewarded her with a new life of luxuries. After becoming the first Turkish track and field athlete in history to set a world record, the multi-millionaire president of her running club, honored her achievement by offering her the use of his private jet. She no more has to rush to the airport to take the 6:30 flight back home. She gives her private press conference at the hotel she is staying, then goes out for a little site visit, and packs her bags, including a 50,000 euros bonus for her effort, to take a private jet flight back home. A joint press conference by U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House. ...