Addis Ababa, December 2, 2024 (FBC) – The FDRE President Taye Atske-Selassie has congratulated Ethiopian athletes Tamirat Tola and Sembo Alemayehu on their latest global recognition by the world athletics governing body.
On Sunday 1st of December World Athletics has announced winners of annual awards in in three categories – track, field and out of stadium – for 2024.
Following a vote by fans, Olympic marathon champion Tamrat Tola of Ethiopia has been voted as Male Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year and his compatriot Sembo Almayew has won the Female Rising Star of the Year award.
Sembo Almayew finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase final at the Paris Olympics, going close to her own national U20 record with her 9:00.83 performance, before she travelled to Lima where she won the world U20 title, setting a championship record in the process. With that win, the 19-year-old became the first ever Ethiopian world U20 women’s steeplechase champion.
In light of this news, the Ethiopian head of state sent his best wishes to the two athletes for scooping their awards in Monaco.
“Congratulations to Tamirat Tola and Sembo Alemayehu, for being winners of Male Out-of-Stadium Athlet of the Year and Women’s Rising Star award at the World Athletics Awards 2024 in Monaco,” President Taye said in a post published on social media platform X (formerly Twittter)..
“You have done it on the giant shoulders of our legends and your success is inspiration to our future young athletes,” he added.