Derartu Tulu

Derartu Tulu won the world cross-country title three times, in 1995, 1997 and 2000, spread across a career that also included two Olympic 10,000m golds. Her 2000 win in Vilamoura came after injuries and time away, and showed how well her patient, strong running suited the event's changes of rhythm. She was the first Black African woman to win Olympic gold, and her cross-country record helped build Ethiopia's dominance in women's distance running.