Medina Eisa
Quick Facts
Biography
Medina Eisa (born 3 January 2005) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won the gold medal in the 5000 metres at the 2022 World Under-20 Championships and silver in the junior women's race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships.
Career
In June 2021, aged 16, Medina Eisa placed 10th in the 5000 metres race at the Ethiopian Olympic trials ahead of the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
In April 2022, she finished fourth in the event at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships held in Hawassa, running a time of 15:50.3. She claimed the gold medal for the women's 5000 m at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in August, clocking 15:29.71 ahead of compatriot Melknat Wudu and third-placed Uganda’s Prisca Chesang. In October, Eisa won the Northern Ireland International Cross Country 6 km race held in Dundoland, Belfast in a time of 21:07.
In February 2023, she earned the silver medal in the junior women's race at the World Cross Country Championships, running 21:00 to finish seven seconds behind compatriot Senayet Getachew. With the one-two Ethiopia took gold in the team standings. In April, the 18-year-old set a world U20 best in the 5 kilometres road race with a time of 14:46 for a win at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany. She beat her compatriot Senbere Teferi, women's only race world record-holder, in a photo finish.
In July 2023, Eisa competed at the Diamond League event in London and ran 5000m in 14:16.54 to set a new world U20 record, beating Tirunesh Dibaba previous world best mark at 14:30.88. In December 2023, she won the 15 kilometres road race Montferland Run held in 's-Heerenberg with a time of 47:40.
In February 2024, she set a new 3000 metres personal best time of 8:32.35 in Boston at the 2024 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. She won the 2024 Millrose Games two miles in 9:04.39, the second-fastest short track time ever, but was later disqualified for cutting inside her staggered lane immediately after the race started, and thus not running the full distance.
Personal bests
- 3000 metres – 8:32.25 (Boston 2024)
- 5000 metres – 14:16.54 (London 2023)
- Road
- 5 kilometres – 14:46 (Herzogenaurach 2023) WU20B
- 15 kilometres – 47.40 ('s-Heerenberg 2023)
- 5 kilometres U18 – 14:53 (Herzogenaurach 2022) AU18B