London, UK -Â (RIA Novosti) – Ethiopia’s 2004 gold medalist Meseret Defar regained her Olympic 5,000 meters title on Friday, powering dramatically past defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba in the final straight.
Defar accelerated to the line in 15 minutes, 4.25 seconds, with Kenya’s world champion Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot taking the silver half a second back.
Dibaba, the world record holder, flagged in the last 50 meters to drop to the bronze medal in 15:05.15.
Defar was a bronze medalist in Beijing four years ago.
Final Official Results:
| Rk | Athlete | Mark |
| 1 | Â DEFAR Meseret (Ethiopia) | 15:04.25 |
| 2 | Â CHERUIYOT Vivian Jepkemoi (Kenya) | 15:04.73 |
| 3 | Â DIBABA Tirunesh (Ethiopia) | 15:05.15 |
| 4 | Â KIPYEGO Sally Jepkosgei (Kenya) | 15:05.79 |
| 5 | Â BURKA Gelete (Ethiopia) | 15:10.66 |
| 6 | Â KIBIWOT Viola Jelagat (Ethiopia) | 15:11.59 |
| 10 | Â ESHETE Shitaye Ethiopia/Bahrain) | 15:19.13 |
| 12 | Â DABA Tejitu (Ethiopia/Bahrain) | 15:21.34 |
Those white pictures should have been replaced by something resembles Middle Eastern such as olive or black or brown colors. It may not matter what color Mary or those holly people on Meserts chest but the fact is those people are not northern Europeans. Ignorance is a bliss. I have seen in Ethiopia growing up white as an angel black as a devil on pictures where black was smashed by white Europeans. What a shame! Otherwise these result is the best for Ethiopia two medals including gold in one event.
mesi, u r amazing,i can’ t hold my tears as u do while making ur emotion go !!!
u r so genuin,so ethiopian,and so perfect!!! thank u and thank u so much to
ur effort that make us all so proud !!! I love u so much and God bless u and ur
dream!!!
This is another proudest moment for me. Our other daughter Meseret showed everyone who owns the highest podium. If it is not Tirunesh, then it would be her who will be standing on it and nobody else!!! This is called unity in action and unity for the sake of our people. I noticed such unity among our runners in both 10K and the women’s marathon. They are perfect example of a winning cooperation. For now, My Dear Daughters Tirunesh and Meseret, please take a bow from me!!! May Allah Bless You and Your Fellow Athletes!!! You are my only motivation and bragging rights !!! When others tell me they have Michael Fred Phelps, I tell them I also have Tirunesh!!! When they tell me that they have Usian Bolt, I tell them I also have Meseret!!! When they tell me that they have Michael Jordan and Wilma Rudolph, I tell them I have Abebe Bikila and Mamo Wolde. And when they brag about having Carl Lewis and I then shout back at them with pride telling them I have Miruts Yifter, The Shifter!!! Enough said!!!!!!!
We are proud of you, thanks for everything you did for us and our country. All the women athletes presenting us London 2012 God bless you.
well done messi you are always a champion
I was highly moved by Mesert’s attribution of her victory to her faith in God and the manner she exhibited her veneration to the Virgin Mary. It is her way of saying :”I am weak on my own but You (God) gave me the strength to win this.” The fact that she won during the Fast of the Assumption of Virgin Mary made her victory very sweet.