A gold medal in the 800 metres at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow marked the international arrival of Tsige Duguma. Born in the Kamashi Zone of Ethiopia in 2001, she has since become a dominant force on the global stage, setting national records and securing podium finishes across prestigious diamond league events.
Early Career and National Titles
Duguma started her progression through the junior ranks with a silver medal in the 200 metres at the 2017 African U20 Championships in Algeria. She shifted her focus toward longer sprints and middle-distance events, winning the Ethiopian national indoor championships in the 400 metres at Hawassa in March 2022. By July 2023, she transitioned successfully to the 800 metres, recording a time of 1:59.40 in Belgium to break the two-minute barrier.
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Take the IQ test →Global Breakthrough in 2024
The 2024 season established Duguma as a leader in the 800-metre discipline. Following a victory in Belgrade, she claimed gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, becoming Ethiopia's first women's world indoor champion in the event. She later secured a silver medal at the Paris Olympics with a personal best of 1:57.15, trailing only Keely Hodgkinson.
Expanding Discipline and Diamond League Success
In 2025 and 2026, Duguma expanded her range to include the 1500 metres. She set a national and meet record of 1:56.64 at the 2025 Shanghai Diamond League and followed with wins at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat and the Prefontaine Classic. By August 2026, she moved into the 1500 metres, clocking a world-leading 3:55.06 at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia. Earlier that year, she faced visa issues that prevented her from competing in the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.
Fast facts
- Born: 23 February 2001
- Birthplace: Kamashi Zone, Ethiopia
- Primary Discipline: 800 metres
- 2024 Olympic Result: Silver medal
- 2024 World Indoor Champion: 800 metres
- 1500 metres Personal Best: 3:55.06
- 800 metres Personal Best: 1:56.64
Questions readers ask
Did Tsige Duguma win a medal at the Paris Olympics?
Yes, she earned a silver medal in the 800 metres with a time of 1:57.15.
Why did she miss the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships?
She was unable to compete because of difficulties obtaining the required visa.
