Worknesh Mesele

Worknesh Musele Handeno (born 10 June 2001) is an Ethiopian athlete who has won Ethiopian national championship titles over 400 metres and 800 metres.

Career

Musele ran the 11th fastest time in the world in 2021 in the women’s 800m when she completed the Ethiopian Olympic Trial. She had previously competed at the 2019 African Games in Kabat in the 400m and the 4x400m relay.

She ran a personal best 1:58:71 in the 800m at the Ethiopian Olympic trial to finish third behind Werkwuha Getachew and Habitam Alemu in June 2021 to secure her place at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Her previous personal best had been 2:02:20. She was named in the Ethiopian squad for the games, however she did not compete. On 30 June, 2021 she won the 800m at the Irena Szewińska Memorial meeting in Bydgoszcz on the 2021 World Athletics Continental Tour, beating compatriot Diribe Welteji by .07 seconds.

In March 2022 Mesele won her second national title winning the 800m in Hawassa. She finished fourth in the 2022 African Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres race.

In 2023, she participated in the World Championships in Budapest, and reached the semi finals of the 800 metres.