Ethiopia left the World Championships without a gold medal, making this year’s edition in Tokyo its most disappointing showing since 1991. The team finished 22nd in the medal table, collecting two silver and two bronze medals, but gold remained elusive.

In contrast, Team USA extended its dominance at the World Athletics Championships, finishing first in Tokyo with 26 medals, 16 of them gold. Kenya secured second place with 11 medals, including seven golds, while Jamaica ranked third with 10 medals, though only one was gold.

The women’s marathon brought both triumph and heartbreak for Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa, who was narrowly beaten in the sprint. In a thrilling finish, she was narrowly edged out in a sprint by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir, 2:24:43 to 2:24:45. Tigist, though delivering a spectacular performance, lost a major marathon title in a sprint for the second time, after finishing second behind Sifan Hassan at the Paris Olympics.

In the men’s marathon, all three Ethiopian competitors failed to finish, while Tanzanian runner Alphonce Simbu celebrated a stunning victory. Eritrean athlete Samson Amare finished in eighth place.

On the track, Yomif Kejelcha won silver in the men’s 10,000m, finishing in 28:55.83. His calculated effort secured another medal for Ethiopia, though the world title once again slipped just out of reach.

In the men’s 5,000m final—an event where Ethiopia was tipped to strike gold—Hagos Gebrhiwet had to settle for fifth place, while Binyamin Mehari faded to 13th.

Olympic silver medallist and 2024 world indoor champion Tsige Duguma, representing Ethiopia in the women’s 800 metres, was unable to reach the podium.

Bronze medals came through grit and determination.

Gudaf Tsegay left it all on the track in a fiercely contested women’s 10,000m, finishing in 30:39.65 after a thrilling battle with Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon, but the Kenyan women proved too strong to overcome. Meanwhile, Sembo Almayew made a breakthrough in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, shattering her personal best with 8:58.86.

Despite the efforts of these individual athletes, the results in Tokyo were disappointing. Ethiopia’s worst performance at the World Championships came in Tokyo in 1991, when the team finished without a gold medal.

This year’s results are likely to raise questions about why the Ethiopian team has struggled to maintain its dominance in recent years, particularly in middle- and long-distance events. Analysts and fans alike are examining factors such as training methods, athlete development programs, and the athletics management team.