Ethiopia at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Ethiopia competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1] The country's participation in Tokyo marked its fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1956, having missed three occasions due to joining the African (1976), Soviet (1984), and North Korean (1988) boycotts. Ethiopia left Tokyo with a total of four medals (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze), a decrease from its previous overall tally at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and its lowest medal count since 1996.

Ethiopia at the 2020 Summer Olympics
IOC code	ETH
NOC	Ethiopian Olympic Committee
in Tokyo, Japan July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23) – August 8, 2021 (2021-08-08)
Competitors	38 in 4 sports
Flag bearer (opening)	Abdelmalik Muktar
Flag bearer (closing)	Selemon Barega
Medals Ranked 56th	Gold 1 Silver 1 Bronze 2 Total 4
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984–1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Medalists

Further information: 2020 Summer Olympics medal table and List of 2020 Summer Olympics medal winners

Medal	Name	Sport	Event	Date
Gold	Selemon Barega	Athletics	Men's 10000 m	July 30
Silver	Lamecha Girma	Athletics	Men's 3000 m steeplechase	July 30
Bronze	Gudaf Tsegay	Athletics	Women's 5000 m	August 2
Bronze	Letesenbet Gidey	Athletics	Women's 10000 m	August 7

Competitors

The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games.

Sport	Men	Women	Total
Athletics	16	19	35
Cycling	0	1	1
Swimming	1	0	1
Taekwondo	1	0	1
Total	18	20	38

Athletics

Main articles: Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Ethiopian athletes further achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):^[2][3]

Key

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
• Q = Qualified for the next round
• q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
• NR = National record
• N/A = Round not applicable for the event
• Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Track & road events

Men

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Melese Nberet	800 m	1:47.80	7	Did not advance
Samuel Abate	1500 m	3:41.63	5 Q	3:37.66	11	Did not advance
Teddese Lemi		3:36.26	2 Q	3:34.81	7	Did not advance
Samuel Tefera		3:37.98	9	Did not advance
Nibret Melak	5000 m	13:45.81	14	—		Did not advance
Milkesa Mengesha		13:31.13	6 Q			13:08.50	10
Getnet Wale		13:41.13	9			Did not advance
Berihu Aregawi	10000 m	—				27:46.16	4
Selemon Barega						27:43.22
Yomif Kejelcha						27:52.03	8
Lamecha Girma	3000 m steeplechase	8:09.83	1 Q	—		8:10.38
Bikila Tadese Takele		8:24.69	9			Did not advance
Getnet Wale		8:12.55	2 Q			8:14.97	4
Lelisa Desisa	Marathon	—				DNF
Shura Kitata		—				DNF
Sisay Lemma		—				DNF

Women

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Habitam Alemu	800 m	2:01.20	2 Q	1:58.40	2 Q	1:57.56	6
Netsanet Desta		2:01.98	4	Did not advance
Freweyni Hailu	1500 m	4:04.12	5 Q	3:57.54	2 Q	3:57.60	4
Lemlem Hailu		4:05.49	5 Q	4:03.76	9	Did not advance
Diribe Welteji		4:10.25	12	Did not advance
Ejgayehu Taye	5000 m	14:48.52	4 Q	—		14:41.24	5
Senbere Teferi		14:48.31	3 Q			14:45.11	6
Gudaf Tsegay		14:55.74	1 Q			14:38.87
Tsigie Gebreselama	10000 m	—				DNF
Tsehay Gemechu						DSQ
Letesenbet Gidey						30:01.72
Mekides Abebe	3000 m steeplechase	9:23.95	3 Q	—		9:06.16	4
Lomi Muleta		9:45.81	10			Did not advance
Zerfe Wondemagegn		9:20.01	4 q			9:16.41	8
Roza Dereje	Marathon	—				2:28:38	4
Birhane Dibaba						DNF
Zeineba Yimer						DNF
Yehualeye Beletew	20 km walk	—				DNF

Cycling

Main articles: Cycling at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Cycling at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Road

Ethiopia entered one rider to compete in the women's Olympic road race, by securing an outright berth, as the highest-ranked cyclist, not yet qualified, at the 2019 African Championships in Addis Ababa.^[4]

Athlete	Event	Time	Rank
Selam Amha	Women's road race	Did not finish

Swimming

Main articles: Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Ethiopia received a universality invitation from FINA to send a top-ranked male swimmer in his respective individual events to the Olympics, based on the FINA Points System of June 28, 2021.^[5]

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Abdelmalik Muktar	Men's 50 m freestyle	26.65	62	Did not advance

Taekwondo

Main articles: Taekwondo at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Taekwondo at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Ethiopia entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition for the first time. Solomon Demse secured a spot in the men's flyweight category (58 kg) with a top two finish at the 2020 African Qualification Tournament in Rabat, Morocco.^[6]

Athlete	Event	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Solomon Demse	Men's −58 kg	Suzuki (JPN) W 22–2	Jendoubi (TUN) L 9–32 PTG	Did not advance	Artamonov (ROC) L 5–27 PTG	Did not advance	7