Meselech Melkamu
Meselech Melkamu (* April 27, 1985 in Debre Markos ) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.
In 2004 she took her first international title when she won the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships in Brussels and the 5000 - meter race at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Grosseto.
At the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki in 2005 they finished fourth in the 5000m. In the same year it was over already run at the World Cross Country Championships in Saint- Galmier as fourth on the long-haul and short-haul Sixth almost at a single medal, but won with Ethiopia at least two routes to the team score.
At the World Cross Country Championships in 2006 in Fukuoka, she was back in the profits of both team title for Ethiopia, but this time as a two-time bronze medalist in the individual standings. A victory in the Great Ireland Run followed by a sixth place in the 5000m at the African Championships in Bambous. In 2007, she was at the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa repeat their success from last year, but only on the long haul, because the short distance races had been abolished. At the World Championships in Osaka, she was sixth in the 5000m.
In 2008 she won at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia over 3000 meters behind her compatriot Meseret Defar the silver medal. With their victory over 5000 meters at the African Championships in Addis Ababa, however, they could beat Defar. At the Olympics in Beijing she won the 5000m only eighth.
In 2009 she won at the World Cross Country Championships in Amman now their fourth bronze medal after she was a year previously only been Ninth at the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh. However, the Ethiopians were defeated in a row in the team standings Kenya to seven wins. On June 14, 2009 Melkamu ran at a track and field meeting in Utrecht 10,000 m in 29:53,80 min. So it was after Wang Junxia, Dibaba and Elvan Abeylegesse only the fourth woman ever who managed to overcome this distance in under 30 minutes. Her time at the same time, a new Africa record, they took second place in the eternal world leaderboard.
At the World Championships in Berlin, she was the 10,000 m in 30:51,34 min just behind the Kenyan Linet Masai Chepkwemoi second. In the final over 5000 meters Melkamu occupied in 15:03,72 min fifth.
In 2010 she won at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz their fifth bronze medal at this championship and led Ethiopia to second place in the team standings. In the Africa Championships in Nairobi they took in the 10,000 -meter run behind Dibaba the silver medal, after she won the Tilburg Ladies Run 10K, and with a victory at Obudu Mountain Run, she became the first African champion in mountain running.
Meselech Melkamu is 1,58 m tall and weighs 47 kg.