Mekedes Alemeshete

Mekedes began racing competitively in 2021, finishing 12th in the 1500 m at the December Ethiopian Athletics Federation club competition behind Hirut Meshesha.^[3] In 2022, she competed at her first Ethiopian Athletics Championships, finishing 9th in the 1500 m with a 4:17.0 clocking.^[4]

After being signed to Spanish agent Juan Pedro Pineda de la Losa, Mekedes began racing the international athletics circuit in 2023. Indoors, she finished 7th in the 3000 m at the 2023 Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais, running 8:46.70. On 18 May, Mekedes achieved her first circuit win in the 1500 m at the Meeting Desafio Nerja Restaurante Pulguilla Y Ayo in Nerja  – followed by winning her 5000 m debut at the Meeting Jaén Paraíso Interior in Andújar.^[5][6] This led to her being invited to the 2023 Diamond League meetings in Chorzów, Xiamen, and Brussels, scoring top-8 points in all three events.^[1] Her 8:36.71 3000 m performance at the Xiamen Diamond League ranked 22nd in the year 2023.^[1]

In 2024, Mekedes competed at the Meeting Lieven, finishing 11th.^[7] Outdoors, she won the 2024 Diamond League Shanghai 5000 m, beating Letesenbet Gidey in what was billed as a world record attempt.^[8] At the 2024 World U20 championships, Mekedes won the 5000 metres with a World U20 Championships best time of 14:57.44 (originally finished second behind Medina Eisa, but Eisa was later given an two-year ban for age falsification violations and stripped of her gold medal).^[9]

Mekedes runs under Spanish athletics manager Juan Pedro Pineda, alongside Olympic medallist Gudaf Tsegay.^[2]