New On athlete Tsigie Gebreselama shines at World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst
Ethiopian long-distance runner Tsigie Gebreselama is the latest addition to the On athlete roster -and stole the spotlight at the World Athletics Cross-Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, with a silver medal in the senior women’s race.
Bathurst, Australia, February 18th, 2023 - Tsigie Gebreselama shone at her first high-profile appearance as part of the On athlete roster. At the World Athletics Cross-Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, the 22-year-old claimed the silver medal in a stacked field of 102 women, including compatriot and heavy favorite Letesenbet Gidey, World Athletics Cross Country Tour leader Rahel Daniel from Eritrea and Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet.
Gebreselama ran a courageous race and kept in contact with the top runners at all times. While she spent some time in the pack at the beginning and hovered around the 15th position, she took the initiative and pushed forward to take the lead at the start of the third lap. At the end of the 10 km distance, the 22-year-old was in third position and powering towards the finish behind Letesenbet Gidey and Beatrice Chebet when the leading Gidey collapsed just meters before the finish line. She had to be helped back up to her feet, leading to her disqualification.
Chebet and Gebreselama ran to gold and silver in a time of 33:48 and 33:56, respectively. Agnes Jebet Ngetich (KEN) finished 4 seconds later to take bronze.
For the team standings, this meant that Gebreselama won another silver medal with her fellow Ethiopians Fotyen Tesfaye (5), Hawi Feysa (6), Gete Alemayehu (12), Wede Kefale (15), and unlucky Letesenbet Gidey (DSQ).
"I am so pleased and satisfied with my result," Gebreselama said after the race. "After a long period of injury, I am finally healthy again. I would like to thank everyone on my team; I could not have done it without them.Thanks also especially to On for the fantastic support since the start of our partnership."
“As she has proven today, Tsigie is an absolute world-class runner, and we are happy to have her as part of Team On,” says Niklas Bühner, Athlete Partnership Manager at On. “We look forward to helping her establish herself as one of the best runners on the Track and Road and can’t wait to see what she will achieve next.”
The 22-year-old’s merit list includes a bronze medal from the World U20 Championships in Tampere in 2018 and a bronze medal won at the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus in 2019. In the same year, she finished third in the 15 km race at Istanbul Marathon. In 2021, she competed in the 10.000 m race at the Tokyo Olympics.
Other On athlete results
Next to Gebreselama, fellow On athlete Egide Ntakarutimana was on start in Bathurst in the men’s senior individual race and claimed position 57. Just days after his successful exploits at the Millrose Games in New York, OAC’s Olli Hoare won a bronze medal in the Mixed Relay with his Australian teammates Abbey Caldwell, Jessica Hull, and Stewart McSweyn.
About On
On was born in the Swiss Alps with one goal: to revolutionize the sensation of running by empowering all to run on clouds. Thirteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, and all-day activities. Fueled by customer recommendation, On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design, and groundbreaking strides in sportswear’s circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base — inspiring humans to explore, discover and dream on.
On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on.com.