Who is Tigist Assefa? Know about Ethiopia's star who shattered women's marathon world record at Berlin
Tigist Assefa, the Ethiopian sensation, has stunned the world by shattering the women's marathon world record at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday. Her remarkable achievement adds a new chapter to the history of this prestigious event.
Tigist Assefa's Triumph
Tigist Assefa, who clinched victory at last year's Berlin Marathon, etched her name in the record books once more. With unrelenting determination, she crossed the finish line in a staggering time of two hours, eleven minutes, and fifty-three seconds. In doing so, she annihilated the previous women's marathon world record set by Kenya's Brigid Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon, which stood at two hours, fourteen minutes, and four seconds. Assefa secured her place in history by defeating her closest competitor, Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, by a commanding margin of almost six minutes.
Speaking through a translator, Assefa expressed her unexpected delight at breaking the world record, saying, «That I broke the record with such a result was not expected for me, but in some form, I wanted to break the record.»
A Star's Rapid Ascent
Tigist Assefa's journey to marathon greatness is nothing short of remarkable. Her rise to prominence began last year when she clinched victory at the Berlin Marathon with a time of two hours, fifteen minutes, and thirty-seven seconds. At the time, it was the third-fastest women's marathon in history. Astonishingly, her only marathon experience before that race was in 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 1 second, during which she competed while nursing an injury. Prior to her marathon career, she participated in the 800m event and even represented Ethiopia at the 2016 Rio Olympics, although she was eliminated in the heats.
However, Assefa's road to greatness was
