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Almaz Ayana

Almaz Ayana

November 30, 2023

2023 Valencia Marathon Preview: 5K/10K World Record Holder Joshua Cheptegei Makes Historic Debut

For the 1st time in nearly 50 years, the men's 5,000 and 10,000 WR holder will debut in the marathon while still being the best in the world on the track. Former HM world record holder Kibiwott Kandie and Kenenisa Bekele are also running, while Almaz AyanaGenzebe Dibaba, and 2019 Boston champ Worknesh Degefa lead the women's field.
June 28, 2019

4 Big Storylines to Follow at Pre: How Will The 3 Olympic Champs Returning From Layoffs Do, Old vs. New in the Women's 100 & More

We also wonder how fast will Michael Norman and Christian Coleman run and do Justin Gatlin & LaShawn Merritt have anything left?
June 27, 2019

2019 Pre Classic Women's Distance Preview: USA vs the World in the Steeple, Semenya (and Kipyegon & Houlihan & Ayana) Returns

The 3k is ridiculously stacked (Dibaba vs Ayana vs Hassan vs Obiri). Heck, EVERY event is ridiculously stacked. The women's steeple features 6 of the 8 fastest women ever, the 1500 has Houlihan vs Muir vs Kipyegon, and the 800 has Semenya. Oh boy.
November 16, 2017

Sunday: Almaz Ayana And World Marathon Champ Geoffrey Kirui Looking For Fast Times At The Delhi Half-Marathon

Ayana is up against defending champ Worknesh Defgefa (66:14) while Kirui actually isn't the favorite as he is up against Jorum Okumbo (58:48) and Alex Korio (58:51).
July 30, 2017

2017 Worlds Women's 10,000 Preview: Almaz Ayana vs. Tirunesh Dibaba in a Battle of Ethiopian Legends

This race is fascinating on paper. Dibaba is the GOAT in the event but Ayana is the fastest and current Olympic champ. Who has the edge?
December 30, 2016

2016 LRC Year-End Rankings, Women's 3,000/5,000: Almaz Ayana Is World #1; Shannon Rowbury or Molly Huddle for U.S. #1?

Ayana may not have earned Olympic gold in the 5,000, but she was utterly dominant apart from that, breaking 14:20 three times in 2016 (before this year, it had been done six times, total). U.S. #1 was a tough choice as Shannon Rowbury earned 3k bronze at World Indoors and set the American 5k record while Molly Huddle crushed everyone in the 5k at the Olympic Trials.
December 03, 2016

Usain Bolt And Almaz Ayana Crowned 2016 World Athletes Of The Year

Bolt won the award for a record 6th time. Other winners included Andre De Grasse as the male rising star and Harry Marra (who coaches the Eatons) won the coaching achievement award.
September 07, 2016

Brussels DL Final Preview: World Record Attempts in the Men's Steeple & Women's 5K, Evan Jager Goes for Sub-8:00, Rowbury Goes For The 5k AR, A Stacked Men's 1500 & Caster Semenya in the 400

Conseslus Kipruto and Almaz Ayana will go for the world records. Can Shannon Rowbury follow up her Zürich win with an AR in the 5,000? Plus Kiprop vs. Makhloufi in the 1500, Clayton Murphy in the 800 and Elaine Thompson vs. Dafne Schippers in the 100.
August 16, 2016

Abbey D’Agostino & Nikki Hamblin Show the True Meaning of the Olympics as Almaz Ayana Leads Women’s 5,000 Qualifiers

Would you stop running  in the middle of the Olympics to help a total stranger? These two women did just that.
August 15, 2016

2016 Olympic Women’s 5,000 Preview: Almaz Ayana Looks to Become the Second Woman to Complete the Distance Double; Will the World Record Fall Too?

Ayana is the HEAVY favorite for gold, and after closing her 10,000 world record last week in 14:30, she has a great shot to take down Tirunesh Dibaba's 14:11.15 world record in Friday's final. The woman with the best chance to stop Ayana is Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot, who will be looking to win her first Olympic title after collecting two silver medals and a bronze. But Cheruiyot was 14 seconds behind Ayana in the 10k, which is probably Cheruiyot's better event.