Selamawit Teferi

Selamawit Dagnachew Teferi is an Olympic runner. Born in Ethiopia, she qualified to represent Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the 5,000 meters. She has also won Israeli championships at 800 meters and 1,500 meters.

Early and personal life

Dagnachew was born in Ethiopia, to a non-Jewish family. She became an Israeli citizen in April 2018, on account of her marriage to an Israeli citizen.
She is married to Ethiopian-born Israeli Olympic marathoner Marhu Teferi, who also competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics. They are the first married couple to represent Israel at the Olympics.

Dagnachew won the Israeli National Championship in 800 meters with a time of 2:13.11 on July 5, 2017, and won the Israeli National Championship in 1,500 meters with a time of 4:14.07 on July 4, 2019.
As of November 2019, her highest world ranking in the 5,000 meters was 22nd, her highest world ranking in women's road running was 28th, and her highest world ranking in 10,000 meters was 57th. At the same time, Dagnachew's time in the 15 kilometers of 49:21 in February 2019 was the 12th-fastest in the world for the year. In July 2019, she won the 1,500 meters with a 4.11.37 at the 18th Meeting International de la Province de Liège.
Dagnachew qualified to represent Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:08.39 in the Guldensporenmeeting in Kortrijk, Belgium, on July 13, 2019, where she won a bronze medal. She placed 10th in the Olympic final.