2. GENZEBE DIBABA
Genzebe Dibaba took the world by storm in 2015 as she stepped out of the shadow of her older sister, thus affirming her status as a world class athlete in her own right. She had indeed come of age! Just as she did last year, Dibaba commenced her indoor season by setting a World Indoor Record of 14:18.86 in the 5000m in Stockholm.
The 24-year old was very active in the Diamond League this year, competing in Eugene, Oslo, Paris and the final in Zurich. She set a Personal Best (PB) of 14:19.76 in Eugene, going solo for most parts of the race in a bid to wrestle the WR from her sister Tirunesh; it was not to be. However she put up an incredible performance that got the fans applauding as she dominated the race almost from start to finish.
She secured another victory in Oslo with a time of 14:21.26. Racing against compatriot and World Leader Almaz Ayana at the Paris Diamond League served as a huge motivation for the Ethiopian who followed Ayana’s lead before overtaking with a few laps to go. As usual, she went solo once more and stormed to a Meeting Record (MR) of 14:15.41, while Ayana followed in 2nd place in 14:21.97.
Widely regarded as a jack of many trades, Dibaba then switched focus to the 1500m and four days later, set an African Record of 3:54.11 in Barcelona, the fastest time in the world in 18 years! This was just the beginning for the World Indoor Record holder in the 3000m. Nine days later, she clocked a scorching WR of 3:50.07 in Monaco, the fastest time run in more than two decades.
Going to Beijing, Dibaba decided to experiment with the 1500m/5000m double. She was unmatched in the 1500m where she claimed her first World Championships title. The 5000m was a more difficult nut to crack though, as she was at the receiving end this time around, with Ayana handing Dibaba her first defeat of the season. Dibaba had to settle for a Bronze medal in the race.
Two weeks later, the pair went head to head once more at the Diamond League final in Zurich where Ayana triumphed again in the 3000m, though Dibaba won the Diamond Race after finishing 2nd. Ending the 2015 season as the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year would no doubt lessen the sting from back-to-back defeats after a phenomenal season.
